Lexington firefighter dies after battling injuries sustained during house fire
LEXINGTON, N.C. (WGHP) — A Lexington firefighter, who suffered injuries while fighting a house fire with his team, has died, according to the Lexington Fire Department.
Just after midnight on Tuesday, the Lexington Fire Department responded to a house fire on West 5th Street. When they arrived, they could see fire and smoke at the back of the house, and firefighters went inside to work on extinguishing the fire. A few minutes later, they were ordered to evacuate the building, and crews realized one firefighter was missing.
Search teams found the firefighter, Captain Ronnie Metcalf, and he was flown to the hospital with severe burns. He reportedly had burns on 60% of his body.
The Lexington Fire Department says Metcalf died Friday at Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health.
As Metcalf underwent treatment in the hospital, the community rallied around him. Community members initiated a fundraiser on GiveInKind.com to assist Metcalf’s family with medical expenses.
People who did and did not know Metcalf prayed for him in the Hillside Park Baptist Church in Thomasville on Wednesday night. He’s attended the church for nearly 17 years as an ordained deacon.
Metcalf has reportedly been with the LFD for 19 years.
The cause of this fire is under investigation.
A few hours after witnessing Metcalf pass away, Pastor Steven Chipps sat down in the pews at Hillside Park Baptist Church in Thomasville to reflect on the life and memory of the fallen Lexington fire captain.
“What he longed for and what he lived for was to see the Lord … He got to fulfill that. It’s one of those things where it’s hard for us but joyful for him,” Chipps said.
Chipps says he was a deacon and member of the church choir.
“He leaves a large void … It’s one of those things that when the Lord made Ronnie, he made one of him. He was one of a kind,” Chipps said.
Chipps says at the hospital there were 50 firefighters who visited Metcalf’s family.
Outside the Lexington Fire station, you could see engines not only from the Triad but from across the state.
As the community continues to mourn his passing, Chipps is asking everyone to rally around Metcalf’s family.
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