Truck explosion kills fire chief responding to scene, reports say. ‘No words right now’
A Georgia community is mourning a beloved firefighter killed in the line of duty.
Greene County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Chris Eddy was battling a tractor-trailer fire at about 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4, along State Route 15 near Greensboro, WAGA and WSB-TV reported.
A “violent explosion” occurred when the back of the truck was opened, Morgan County Fire Chief Garret Smith told the Morgan County Citizen.
Eddy was hurt in the blast and later died from his injuries, officials said.
“GCFR has no words right now,” the fire department wrote on its Facebook page. “We are truly in disbelief. Pray for our department over the next few days and weeks ahead. RIP Chief Eddy!”
Eddy was assigned to the Greene County Fire Rescue’s Station 11, according to the Board of Commissioners. He joined the department in 2019 and was promoted to battalion chief just two years later, officials told WSB-TV.
Smith said Eddy was also a part-time firefighter in nearby Morgan County.
“Chris was a fireman’s fireman, always ready to help, always willing to teach, and always ready to respond,” the fire chief told the Morgan County Citizen. “Chris embodied everything a fireman is.”
Eddy’s body was taken to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Lab for an autopsy, The Union-Recorder reported, citing the Greene County Coroner’s Office.
Officials said the cause of the fire and explosion is under investigation.
Greensboro is about a 30-mile drive southeast from Athens.
This story was originally published September 5, 2024 at 11:44 AM with the headline "Truck explosion kills fire chief responding to scene, reports say. ‘No words right now’."