Frederick County, Maryland Fire Rescue Captain Joshua Laird, 46, went to a house that was on fire after being hit by lightning on Wednesday. It was located on a country road with no fire hydrants.
Laird went in the burning house through the front door. A few minutes afterwards, he fell through the first floor into the basement where he couldn’t escape.
He reportedly told his colleagues, through a portable radio, “Tell my family I love them.”
A medevac was sent to take the captain to the hospital by air. There, he died from his injuries.
It is believed that the captain was the only one in the home. Additionally, the cause of the fire has not been determined.
County Executive, Jan Gardner, tweeted, “We often take for granted the bravery of our firefighters…Sadly, we are reminded of how dangerous the job really is. Josh is a hero…”
