USFA On-Duty Death: South Carolina

United States Fire Administration
22 January 2024

The United States Fire Administration has announced the death of Firefighter Robert Earl Brown, Sr., 87, of the Glendale Fire Department on 18 January 2024.

Firefighter Robert Earl Brown, Sr. was at the scene of a brush fire pulling hose when he suffered a medical emergency. He was immediately taken to the Spartanburg Regional Medical Center where he passed away a short time later from an apparent heart attack. Firefighter Robert Earl Brown, Sr., was the past chief of the Glendale Fire Department from 1976 to 2017.

Age: 87
Rank: Firefighter
Classification: Volunteer
Incident date: January 18, 2024 2:30 p.m.
Date of death: January 18, 2024
Cause of fatal injury: Stress/Overexertion
Nature of fatal injury: Heart Attack
Activity type: Advance Hose Lines/Fire Attack (includes Wildland)
Emergency duty: Yes
Duty type: On-Scene Fire
Fixed property use: Outdoor Property

The number of on-duty deaths for 2024 currently is 2.

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.”