On Friday, March 29 2024, Lexington Firefighter Captain Ronnie Metcalf was pronounced deceased at Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem. Ronnie Metcalf’s passing comes after sustaining life-ending burn wounds on sixty percent of his body after responding to a house fire call on early Tuesday morning.

Lexington Fire Department responded to a house fire at 306 W. 5th Street at 0:02 a.m. on Tuesday, March 26. Upon arrival, fire and smoke were observed coming from the rear of the house. LFD initiated an interior fire attack to extinguish the fire. A few minutes later, an order to evacuate the structure was issued.  

The crews evacuated the structure and reported one firefighter missing. Search teams reentered the structure to locate and extricate Metcalf. He was then treated by EMS at the scene for burn injuries and transported by helicopter to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hospital. 

The cause of the fire is still currently under investigation.

Ronnie Metcalf was a father, husband, 19-year veteran with the Lexington Fire Department and a member of Hillside Park Baptist Church. A gift card meal train is active online for the Metcalf family during this difficult time. Donations can be accepted at https://www.giveinkind.com/inkinds/Q2C9Z2D/gift-card-meal-train-for-metcalf-family?fbclid=IwAR3slKHxf9x7-63yeyIU1nAY59N43LpbFWyACyLyoewewWNEua5pAbj3SwA