Louisiana Firefighters Miraculously Survive Collapse of 30-Foot Brick Wall During Blaze

(Broussard, Louisiana) - Three South Louisiana firefighters are saying extra prayers of gratitude after surviving a near-death experience while on the job.

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One of the firefighters, Nicholas Stancliff, who was recovered enough to share their story, told News 15 that when they arrived at the scene, the bricks had been burning for a while, weakening the wall. When the 30-foot-tall brick wall collapsed on him, the bricks were so hot that he could feel them burning him through his protective gear.

The Broussard Firefighter recalls crawling for his life while experiencing severe pain, telling News 15:

I just had a lot of pain through my back; I just decided I wasn't going to move. At first, I was going to be pulled out but I started feeling the heat through the bricks.

Stancliff knew he needed to get out of the flames once he started feeling the bricks burning him and crawled to a Lafayette firefighter from Engine 13.

Cole Champagne with the Broussard Fire Department doesn't remember seeing the wall fall but says it hit him in the head, knocking him down.

The firefighters told News 15 that the community stepped up and even provided food through a meal train during their recovery.

Captain Erik Mannting shared how tough it was not being able to see his family right away, "they know dad works in a dangerous job; they just knew I was hurt. Unfortunately, they were not allowed to come to see me, so that made it a little bit more difficult, but with the help of Chief Champagne, we were able to get down to the lobby and meet with them."

Even after surviving this traumatic incident, the firefighters have returned to work to serve their community. When asked how they do it, Champagne explained, "It's a weird feeling, for sure. It's a weird feeling when you come off the shift. A big incident happens and you have to go home and it’s business as usual. It's odd but you just have to keep working."