DALLAS — More than a year after a fire tore through a historic West End building in downtown Dallas, the city’s firefighters returned to the site as the restaurant reopened.

On July 15, 2024, a two-alarm fire engulfed the building that houses one of the world’s largest Hooters restaurants. Dallas Fire-Rescue Officer Ryan Catlin was on the scene.

“Before I knew it, I hear ‘look out’ and a wall just falls right on top of my head,” Catlin recalled.

It was a few hours into the firefight.

“I tried to stand up, and I realized my leg’s not working,” Catlin said.

Catlin was rushed to the hospital, later learning he had torn his right quadricep muscle. The injury sidelined him for nine months, his first major setback since joining the department.

Not just a firefighter but also a father, Catl

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