Firefighter burned from Washington wildfire, leaves hospital after 3 months

The 25-year-old man severely injured in a Washington wildfire that killed three of his fellow firefighters left the hospital Wednesday after three months of treatment, but his recovery is far from complete.

Daniel Lyon, who suffered burns on more than 60 percent of his body Aug. 19, still hasn’t regained use of his hands, and it will take time to get his body functioning well enough to go back to work. He wears a facemask and other wraps to help his wounds heal.

The first day he got out of bed to take a walk — just over a month ago — was the moment he realized he was going to survive, Lyon said during a news conference at Harborview Medical Center, where he has undergone 11 surgeries.

Lyon has made a remarkable recovery, said Dr. Nicole Gibran, one of his attending physicians and director of the University of Washington Burn Center at Harborview. She cited his family’s constant support and the fact that his lung injury was not as severe as it could have been.

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