United States Fire Administration
11 September 2025
The United States Fire Administration has announced the death of Master Firefighter Preston Fant, 53, of DeKalb County Fire Rescue on 8 September 2025.
At approximately 1:30 p.m. on September 8, 2025, Master Firefighter Preston Fant along with other units from DeKalb County Fire Rescue responded to a warehouse fire in Lithonia, Georgia. Master Firefighter Fant was injured approximately 15 minutes into the interior attack. Rescue operations and lifesaving efforts began immediately on scene. Master Firefighter Fant was transported to the hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Age: 53
Rank: Master Firefighter
Classification: Career
Incident date: Sep. 8, 2025 1:30 PM
Date of death: Sep. 8, 2025
Cause of fatal injury: Unknown
Nature of fatal injury: Unknown
Activity type: Advance Hose Lines/Fire Attack (includes Wildland)
Emergency duty: Yes
Duty type: On-Scene Fire
Fixed property use: Storage
The number of on-duty deaths for 2025 is currently 61.
Go here to read the number of interior line of duty deaths for 2025.
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.”
Photo courtesy of DeKalb County Government.
Data Not Drama 