Nine North Texas firefighters injured in a house fire, officials say
Nine firefighters were hospitalized after being injured while fighting a fire at a McKinney home Saturday night, officials said.
Firefighters were dispatched at about 9 p.m. to the house fire in the 7400 block of Joshua Tree Trail, McKinney Fire Department officials said in a news release.
The caller reported that the master bedroom was on fire, officials said.
Firefighters arrived at the home of former McKinney mayoral candidate and attorney Taylor Willingham and reported that the two-story residence had heavy smoke coming from the open front door, according to the release.
Crews initiated an “aggressive” interior attack on the second floor when a firefighter became disoriented and low on air, prompting a mayday, officials said.
Nearby crews quickly coordinated rescue and safely removed the firefighter from the residence, officials said.
According to the release, nine firefighters were taken to hospitals with injuries ranging from smoke inhalation to overexertion. All were treated and released Sunday morning, officials said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, officials said.
“We appreciate the prayers for our firefighters as they recover,” officials said in the release.
Thankful to firefighters, neighbors
“We want to thank the brave men and women of the McKinney Fire Department for working tirelessly to put out the fire,” Willingham said in a social media post.
Willingham said his family and their pet birds are safe.
“We are also deeply thankful to our neighbors who, in an act of pure kindness, gave our children the shoes off their feet so they wouldn’t have to walk barefoot,” Willingham said. “Today we find ourselves experiencing what so many people around the world live through every day: Being without a home, with nothing but the clothes on our backs. This has reminded our family of the countless others who endure hardships far greater than ours.”
This story was originally published August 31, 2025 at 2:14 PM.