Lexington Firefighter Captain Ronnie Metcalf has died after suffering serious burns during a house fire. (Lexington Fire Department)
Lexington, N.C.
A fire captain has died after sustaining injuries during a house fire earlier this week.
According to the Lexington Fire Department, Firefighter Captain Ronnie Metcalf was pronounced dead at the Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical Center in Winston-Salem on Friday.
City officials said Metcalf’s death comes days after sustaining life-threatening burn wounds on 60 percent of his body while responding to a house fire call on early Tuesday morning.
Fire crews responded to a home just after midnight on Tuesday. When they arrived, firefighters said flames and smoke were seen coming from the back of the house.
Crews went inside to extinguish the fire, but a short time later they were ordered to evacuate the building due to structure issues.
Fire officials said crews evacuated but reported a firefighter missing.
Search teams reentered the building and located Metcalf.
The captain was pulled from the home and treated by emergency crews at the scene for burn injuries before being transported by helicopter to the medical center.
Metcalf was a father, husband, and a 19-year veteran with the Lexington Fire Department. He was also a member of the Hillside Park Baptist Church.
The community has rallied around Metcalf, initiating a fundraiser to assist his family with medical expenses.
The cause of the house fire currently remains under investigation.