Behind them stood 343 probationary firefighters, all carrying American flags.
The police said that a faulty latch caused the door to swing open while the firefighter was standing inside putting on his jacket.
A flapper is built with a long handle and a series of lamellas which allows firefighters to stand well back from the fire.
Specially trained Gambian police officers, firefighters and doctors stood ready to respond.
In this evolution, the firefighter stands over a 160 lb.
More than a dozen firefighters stood by.
If the firefighters were all standing on skateboards, the hose would propel them backward at great speed!
Outside, 10 firefighters stood in the midday sun.
A firefighter stood in the side pulpit, gazing at the damaged north wall.
At one point on Sunday, 100 homes were burning at once as firefighters stood by helplessly.