Firefighter
Tony Barker, 36, of the Mountain View Volunteer Fire Department on June 13, 2013
at 1500hrs, responded to where wind from a storm in the Wilkes County, NC, area
blew part of a maple tree across power lines igniting a fire in a small
structure. A witness said that Firefighter Barker, one of the first to arrive at
the scene, was bending over to look more closely where the fire was coming from
and was less than 3 feet away from the structure when he collapsed. While
witnesses said they never saw Barker touch the structure, the electricity from
the power lines on the structure likely moved through the building and unpaved
ground, electrocuting Firefighter Barker. Reports indicate that the ground was
saturated with rainwater which helped conduct the electricity. Other
firefighters were able to pull Firefighter Barker away from the structure.
Efforts to revive Tony Barker with CPR, however, were unsuccessful. Firefighter
Barker was pronounced dead at Wilkes Regional Medical Center.
Our condolences to the Baker Family & Friends, the Mountain View Volunteer Fire Department, and to all affected by Firefighter Tony Baker's passing.
To date, 39
firefighter fatality have been reported to USFA in 2013. Year-to-date monthly
and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted online at U.S.
Fire Administration (USFA) Fatality Notices page.
(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)
(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)
