Nearly a month after being critically burned in a Fort Worth house fire, firefighter Caleb Halvorson is showing signs of progress, but his family says it could take years for a full recovery.  

Caleb Halvorson was critically injured on September 3 when a garage collapsed while he was battling the flames at a house in Fort Worth's historic Southside. He has been in Parkland Hospital's burn unit, fighting to survive, ever since. For the first time, his family is speaking out.

Alisha Cook, Caleb Halvorson's mom, said it's a pain she hopes no parent has to experience.

"Watching my son suffer, watching him cry… in those moments, in the nighttime," said Cook. "He doesn't ask why, because he just knows when you choose a job like this, it's just part of it… just the pain he's going through, his body will never be the same, his skin."

Fort Worth firefighter shows signs of progress after critical injuries, multiple surgeries

From skin grafts to multiple surgeries, Caleb Halvorson is finally showing signs of progress nearly a month after he was critically injured. 

"They say some sensation in his back where the burns are may never come back fully, I mean, he tore three out of the four ligaments in his knee," his wife, Haley Halvorson, said.

Neighbors captured the horrifying moments as it all played out. Haley Halvorson said reliving it through his words is gut-wrenching.

"He can recall the fall, he can recount what it felt like to be on fire, he's told me like he thought he was going to die," she said. "He had accepted it, and that was it for him, so he told me as soon as he got out, he was like, please don't let me die, I need to get to my son in the hospital. I can't go right now."

At the same time, Caleb Halvorson's family is coping with his painful recovery, they're also facing another challenge: caring for his son Hudson, who was born 13 weeks early and has been in the NICU since June.

"I send him a lot of pictures, and he facetimes, and I've stolen a couple of his shirts from the house so Hudson can still smell him," said Haley Halvorson.

Injured Fort Worth firefighter looks forward to getting back to work

Cook said Caleb Halvorson is already hoping to get back to his job as a firefighter. They say he still has many outpatient surgeries moving forward. 

While there are still 1-2 years to go for a full recovery, the family is thankful for the community's support and is looking forward to Caleb Halvorson's next chapter as a dad. 

"He may not be as fast as he once was. I might be able to beat him in a race now, but he should be able to live a normal life afterwards," Haley Halvorson said.