We regret to advise you that Firefighter Tony
Barker, with 1 year and 5 months of service with the Mountain View FD in Wilkes
County, was electrocuted at the scene of a small fire shortly after 1500
yesterday.
His
death appears to be caused by winds blowing part of a large maple tree across
power lines behind a commercial building.
A
witness said that FF Barker was bending over as if to look more closely where
the fire was coming from beneath a small metal storage building behind the
building – when he collapsed – other firefighters were able to pull FF Barker
away from the building.
Efforts
by Mountain View FD first responders and Wilkes County EMS to revive Barker
with CPR were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at Wilkes Regional
Medical Center.
Witnesses
indicated that FF Barker was less than 3′ away from the storage building but
they never saw him touch the structure.
It
appears that FF Barker was electrocuted without actually touching the building.
The electricity from the power lines on the storage building moved through the
building and unpaved ground to Barker. They said the ground was saturated with
rainwater that accompanied heavy winds, which helped conduct the electricity.
Firefighters
on scene reported to the Wilkes Communications Center around 1515 hours that a
Firefighter (Barker) was down. He was among the first firefighters on the scene
but no other firefighters were immediately nearby when he was electrocuted. A
civilian saw him go down and called for help.
FF
Barker leaves behind a young wife and a 3-year-old son. We’ll post additional
as it becomes available. Our condolences to all affected.
