From Near-Death to Newborn: Firefighter survives collapse, focused on newborn son

FORT WORTH, Texas - For the first time, we are hearing from a Fort Worth firefighter who nearly lost his life on the job. 

The engine 11 crew was returning to the station this month when they stopped for a house fire on Williams Street in the historic southside neighborhood of Fort Worth. 

As they fought flames in the home, the garage roof collapsed, trapping one of the firefighters. Today, he shares his first-hand account in an exclusive interview.

What we know:

It was early September in Fort Worth when local firefighters spotted smoke billowing above an empty home. Immediately, they jump into action, doing what they're trained to do.

3-year veteran Caleb Halvorson and his crew worked piece by piece to knock out the flames. Quickly making ground when the call for a 1-alarm fire turned into a mayday call. 

Pinned Down and On Fire

Unable to reach his radio. Halvorson was pinned down, on fire and feeling helpless.

"When you put on all the gear, you feel like a superhero, and you feel invincible," said Halvorson.

"I just remember I'm spraying upwards, and I look straight and this whole thing just smooshed me."

It was then that Halvorson feared for his life.

"And so right then, I was like, I'm going to die."

What's next:

A minute and 45 seconds later, fellow firefighters are able to pull him out of the burning debris and Halvorson is airlifted to Parkland Hospital. 

"I remember my butt and my back were just on fire, and I couldn't straighten my knee. I knew my knee was blown out, but I couldn't straighten it. And they cut off my bunker pants, and they said my kneecap was on the backside of my knee," said Halvorson.

Three Surgeries and "Small Goals"

Dig deeper:

Weeks later, Halvorson, now surrounded by family, is slowly making strides.

He's undergone three surgeries for ligament tears and burn injuries.

But even with screws in his injured leg, he's been able to stand up with the help of a walker and the encouragement of his stepdad, Bobby Cook, who also happens to be a Fort Worth firefighter. 

"The main thing that we're doing right now with him is just setting small goals," said Cook.

The full extent of his injuries is still unknown until he can recover enough to do further testing. 

But while Halvorson sits in this burn unit, his mind is on what's happening in a different unit, at a different hospital altogether.

Fighting for Two: A Newborn Motivation

Big picture view:

His son Hudson was born 13 weeks early at one pound and nineounces and remains in the NICU. 

"It's tough, I miss the little guy," said Halvorson. 

"He's gonna look so different now, and I'm so excited. I've never seen him without… he has always had oxygen going through his nose."

Local perspective:

The new father is more motivated than ever to get back to his old life, with a brand-new perspective.

"I'll get home someday with my wife and my son will get home someday. So, I'm very excited about it, but it's gonna be a long journey, a long process, lots of physical therapy, a lot more surgeries. Or a lot of more surgeries, but yeah, just one day at a time. I've been saying that the whole time I've been here."