Fire claims life

Contributed

On Sunday, Dec. 31 at 12:08 a.m. Tallassee 911 received a report of a residential structure fire on McArthur Street in the Riverside Heights area of Tallassee. Tallassee and Friendship were alerted with Tallassee being the first due department. Crews were notified while en route of the possibility of a trapped occupant.

The first arriving company arrived to find fire showing from a manufactured home. The law enforcement officers (LEO) confirmed the occupant to still be inside of the front bedroom. The crew performed a technique known as Vent Enter Search (VES) under heavy fire conditions and removed the unconscious victim and began resuscitation efforts with rapid transport to Tallassee Community Hospital prior to EMS arrival. Unfortunately, the victim succumbed to her injuries at the hospital a brief time later.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Alabama Fire Marshal’s office.

Special recognition belongs to Captain Dav Shirley (TFD), Captain Rick Golden (TFD), Captain Travis Jones (TFD), Lieutenant Joshua Ward (FFD), LEO Hunter Saint and LEO Braxton Bryant for their efforts while attempting to save a life.

Responding agencies: Tallassee Friendship Fire Dept, Tallassee Police Dept, Eclectic Fire and EMS