Injured Clinton firefighter breathing on his own

Though still in critical condition, Clinton firefighter Adam Cain now is breathing on his own and 'continues to slowly improve” from a Jan. 5 explosion that killed a colleague, according to an update Thursday from the city.

The 23-year-old's ventilator was removed Wednesday, City Administrator Matt Brooke said.

Cain was badly injured in the grain-silo explosion at the ADM plant in Clinton. Clinton fire Lt. Eric Hosette, 33, died in the blast.

Cain 'is scheduled for surgery on one of his broken arms this morning,” Brooke wrote in the update. 'The family asks for continued prayers and thanks everyone for all the support. It truly has been incredible!”

A firefighter at the Charlotte Volunteer Fire Department, where Hosette served as chief, said Cain sustained many injuries. In addition to respiratory damage, the firefighter said, Cain also suffered many broken bones and cuts.

He has been undergoing lifesaving treatment at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City since the incident, which remains under investigation.

Brooke said the Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health are looking into the cause of the fire and the resulting explosion. Officials won't comment on the incident until the investigations are done he said.