GRESHAM, Ore. — Gresham Firefighter Spencer Tejedas was welcomed back to the engine house on March 31 by a long line of coworkers and friends who have become like family.
Nearly a year after suffering severe burns to over 45% of his body and losing most of his fingers while battling a house fire in May 2024, Tejedas has spent months in recovery. It was two and a half months before he was able to FaceTime his family, and he finally made it home in late September, KATU reported.
Now back among his crew, Tejedas shared his joy at returning to the firehouse. He’s beginning a new chapter in his career at the training academy, where he will mentor recruits.
“A lot of learning to do. For myself. But I get to carry that on with a good cadre of training staff here,” Tejedas said. “I’m excited to bring on the future of Gresham and the recruits, and forever recruits coming to Gresham.”
Tejedas said he felt at home making his return.
“It feels good, I have memories with each one of these people. Just feel at home, really,” Tejedas said.
Assistant Chief Jeffrey Hairston called Tejedas’ injury a profound loss for the team.
“It hit us hard mentally, spiritually and emotionally,” Hairston said. “Having him back feels like a huge lift for all of us.”
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