Firefighters Okay After Close Call Responding to Fire

CHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – A scary moment for one fire department in Chester County.

First Responders with Richburg Fire and Rescue say while they were on scene of a fire when a tractor slipped out of gear, hitting two of their firefighters. Thankfully we are learning everyone will be okay.

“It said we have two firefighters down. You don’t want to hear that”, says Melton.

Assistant Chief T Melton with Richburg Fire and Rescue says on Sunday, October 24th in the afternoon was a normal day on the job when his department was called out to a barn fire.

“I arrived on scene first, there was a grass fire that started one of the barns on fire, it was pretty much full involved when I got there”, says Melton.

Just minutes after being on scene, that normal day turned into the unthinkable.

You worry more about being on the interstate and something hitting you than being out in a pasture”, says Melton.

Melton says while firefighter, Rickie Worrall and Chief John Agee were checking the pump panel on the fire engine on scene, a tractor on the property slipped out of gear, rolled down a hill , hit the fire truck, then hit Worrall who knocked into Agee.

“I was looking at the pump panel to adjust what happened and I didn’t even see it coming, it caught me blindside. Just quick as I was standing there, I was on the ground trying to figure out what happened”, says Worrall.

Luckily Rickie just had a laceration to his ear. Chief Agee was taken to the hospital. He has been released and is expected to be ok.

“Almost 24 years I never been hurt bad enough to go to the hospital and the first time I did it I was hit by a tractor”, says Worrall.

Worrall and Melton say they are thankful for the community support knowing the outcome could have been a lot worse.

Luckily, The first thing it impacted was the truck and that slowed it down enough that it didn’t hit Rickie and John as hard as it could have, because a little bit over to the left and it would have hit both of them” says Melton.

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