Two of the three firefighters injured in a gas explosion on Hopkins Street last month had a chance to visit with the state’s leading firefighter in New Iberia Thursday.

Louisiana State Fire Marshal H. “Butch” Browning met with two of the three injured firefighters from New Iberia Fire Department, driver Isaac Zamora and Capt. Gary Simon.

The visit was the first time Zamora and Simone had seen each other since the explosion occurred on July 29, when they were responding to a business fire. The firefighters were in front of the prefabricated structure when the blast happened, leaving all three with second- and third-degree burns.

The third firefighter, Gilbert Viator, had previously been discharged with lesser burns.

According to a spokesperson, both firefighters were in excellent spirits and very optimistic about their recoveries.

Browning thanked them for their service and sacrifice, then presented each with an agency challenge coin, pin and patches. He also encouraged them to share their experiences with others in the fire service to improve training and preparation for incidents like theirs.