United States Fire Administration
27 March 2023
The United States Fire Administration has announced the death of Chief Minton “Butch” Beach, 68, of the Oak City Volunteer Fire Department on 22 March 2023.
On Monday, March 13, 2023, Chief Minton “Butch” Beach was attending fire department mandated training at the station. During the training, he started to feel ill and returned home. A while later, fire department members checked on him and he was still feeling poorly. He was transported to the hospital where he remained until his passing on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, from an apparent heart attack.
Age: 68
Rank: Chief
Classification: Volunteer
Incident date: March 13, 2023 8:40 p.m.
Date of death: March 22, 2023
Cause of fatal injury: Stress/Overexertion
Nature of fatal injury: Heart Attack
Activity type: Fitness Activity
Emergency duty: No
Duty type: Training
Fixed property use: Store/Office
The number of on-duty deaths for 2023 currently is 18.
Go here to read the number of interior line of duty deaths for 2023.
Fatality status is provisional and may change as USFA contacts State Fire Marshals to verify fatality incident information.
For more information about on-duty deaths as recorded by the United States Fire Administration go to “Firefighter Fatalities in the United States.”
Data Not Drama 