2015 Stories of the Year: Macon-Bibb firefighter dies in house fire
No. 1 Story of the Year
January 1, 2016
2015 Stories of the Year: Macon-Bibb firefighter dies in house fire
While fighting a Feb. 11 blaze on Fairview Drive, Macon-Bibb County firefighters fell through the floor at a south Macon house fire — a catastrophe that killed Lt. Randy Parker.
Parker and other firefighters, who spent an hour containing the flames, were preparing to vent heat from the basement when the floor collapsed.
Parker was trapped by debris as other firefighters frantically tried to free him.
Six men were taken to hospitals and burn centers, but Parker succumbed to his injuries.
Battalion Chief Stephen Stafford remained hospitalized in Augusta for seven weeks, temporarily losing the use of his left side after he collapsed during the rescue.
Stafford could not attend Parker’s funeral, but the Macon City Auditorium was packed with firefighters from across the region who showed up to honor the 46-year-old husband and father of two boys.
Dozens of fire trucks escorted Parker’s casket to the cemetery as people stood on the sidewalks in tribute to his more than two decades of service.
Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the fire, and early reports indicated a burn barrel near the woods line of the property likely sparked the flames.
This story was originally published January 1, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "2015 Stories of the Year: Macon-Bibb firefighter dies in house fire."