Firefighters Died From Thermal Injuries

HOUSTON - The two firefighters who were killed during an Easter house fire died of thermal injuries, according to officials at the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office.

The manner of deaths for both Captain James Harlow, 50, and Damien Hobbs, 30, have been ruled accidental, according to the officials at the medical examiner's office. Harlow and Hobbs became the first firefighters to die in the line of duty since 2005.

Harlow and Hobbs were among several firefighters who responded to a house fire on Oak Vista near De Leon. They ran into the burning home while an elderly couple was running out.

District Chief Tommy Dowdy said the flames were so intense firefighters couldn't immediately go back inside to look for their fellow men. Harlow and Hobbs were later carried out on stretchers. The two men died before making it to the hospital.

Harlow has been with the department since 1979, while Hobbs just graduated from the HFD Val Jahnke Training Facility last month. Autopsies will determine their exact cause of death.