On Thursday, October 8, 2026, Durham firefighter Andrew J. Brokes was killed after a roof collapse while he was inside the structure. He was 24 years old and had been a member of the department since May 5, 2025. He was assigned to Tower 5 at Station 13.
Said an official statement from the Durham Fire Department this afternoon, Firefighter Brokes was searching for victims inside the structure when he was killed.
Two other firefighters were injured, but have not been identified. They were transported to Duke Medical Center, and both have been treated and are expected to make full recoveries.
Funeral Arrangements – Added October 11
The arrangements as announced by the Durham Fire Department:
Visitation – Friday, October 16 – 4:00 pm. to 7:00 p.m.
Funeral – Saturday, October 17 – 4:00 p.m.
The Lamb’s Chapel Hill
3539 Alamance Road
Burlington, NC 27215
His obituary is pending.
Tributes to Andrew – Added October 11
Shown are ABC11 video screengrabs of the Swepsonville Fire Department in Alamance County. Brokes started his fire service career at Swepsonville in February 2022 and continued to work as an active, part-time member. Source story.
Official Statements
Read the statement from DFD, via Facebook posting.
Read the posting from NC State Bureau of Investigation, which is leading the investigation, via Facebook posting.
Incident Details
From radio traffic, the call was dispatched about 3:18 a.m. as a structure fire at 410 Marly Street for FD20 SAF1 R1 E13 TWR5 E3 L3 E17 Q8 SQ1 BC4 BC1. Ops 1. The location was just north of Highway 70 and near Miami Boulevard.
Engine 13 was first to arrive at about 3:22 a.m. They reported a “single story… looks like a commercial converted to a residential home.” < The structure had two stories, the arriving firefighters later learned.
Engine 13 continued, noting “heavy fire and reported heavy fire through the Bravo side. Communications, go ahead and fill the box.” One minute later, the box was filled with additional units. < The automated dispatch did not list those units and instead said “refer to MDT.”
More details from radio traffic:
- Engine 3 arrived with Ladder 3, bringing a hydrant.
- Engine 3 established command.
- Tower 5 arrived/had arrived, reporting as first-due truck. Note, Tower 5 is the new designation for Ladder 13. Changed the other day.
- Engine 13 to command, fire on the Bravo side, making access on Bravo side, fire attack with 1 ¾-inch.
- Ladder 13 with primary search.
- Ladder 3 with ventilation.
- Three lines had been pulled by ~3:30 a.m.
^ From news footage, fire was showing through the roof early into the incident.
Roof Collapse and Maydays
At about 3:30 a.m. a roof collapse was reported. Within seconds, a mayday was sounded for two firefighters. One was reported removed by 3:33 a.m. Both were reported removed by 3:34 a.m.
Two minutes later, at about 3:36 a.m., a change to defensive operations was mentioned on the radio.
Said the Fire Chief in a news conference, several firefighters were on the roof at the time of the collapse. Others were inside the building on the first floor. Those on the first floor became trapped, including the firefighter who died.
Also at about 3:36 a.m., another mayday was sounded. Firefighter was reported down on the B side. RIT team(s) were called into action. Rescue 1 called for cribbing, airbags, and other tools.
At about 3:42 a.m., a second alarm was struck and included mutual aid from Raleigh. Believe that dispatch was SQ4 BC3 E19 E4 E9 EM1 TWR4+ Raleigh E24 E29 BC4.
Full run card is listed below.
Other Details
At about 3:57 a.m., DFD implemented a “service level 2 response” city-wide. Control time and later benchmarks go here.
From news reports, everyone inside the building had evacuated before the fire department arrived. There were no occupants injured. [WRAL]
Editorial and explanatory note. At any building fire including residential occupancies, firefighters always conduct searches of each floor. And even if they are told “everyone is out of the building,” they still conduct such searches to verify.
Believe just two hydrants were caught, one at Marly and Highway 70, the other past the fire scene on Marly.
Radio channels were Ops 01 (fireground), Ops 02 (EMS), Ops 05 (RIT), Ops 07 (move-ups). The latter were coordinated by FD8, with fire companies coming into the city to provide coverage.
Run Card
Fire
E1 E3 E4 E9 E12 E13 E17 E19
Q8 L3 L6 TWR5 TWR4
R1 SQ1
BC1 BC2 BC3 BC4
MS1 QM1 SAF1
FD3 FD4 FD5 FD8 FD10 FD20 FM1 FM3 FMOC
Raleigh E24 E29 BC4
EMS
M11 M12 M13 M22 M24 M31
CH200 CH210 CH220 CH230 CHIEF1
EM1
Emergency Chaplains
Post-Incident Coverage
Neighboring fire departments providing coverage include:
Cary L8 to FS18
Northern Wake E31 to FS8
Durham Highway R5 to FS1, with two DHFD and five DFD members
DFD activated the following units with off-duty members and reserve vehicles:
E50 at FS13
E51 at FS1, manpower unit
BC5 at FS1
BC6 at FS18
Investigation
As noted in the NC SBI press release, the SBI Arson Unit was “requested to investigate the cause and origin of the fire and the circumstances of the fatality. The SBI has special agents on scene collecting evidence and investigating. The SBI will be the lead investigating agency for this event.”
Assisting are ATF and NC OSFM. Other agencies on scene this morning included Durham County EMS, Durham Police, Durham County Sheriff’s Office, Durham City/County EM, Durham County FMO, and Raleigh FD.
Procession
That afternoon, Brokes body was transported from the scene to the state medical examiner’s office in Raleigh. The route included Interstate 40 and Wade Avenue. Along the route, fire and other emergency units paid tribute, staged on bridges and along the roads.
Incident Photos
Shown at top is a montage, starting about 90 minutes into the incident. Drone views include 3X optical zoom, e.g. the aircraft was farther from the scene than it appears.
Radio Traffic
We’ve compiled two recordings from the incident, Durham FD and Durham County EMS, via online scanner sites. We’re evaluating the propriety of sharing and, if so, the appropriate future timeframe.
Historical Perspective
From Legeros records, this is the seventh line of duty death in the department’s history. Those fallen members were Frank Bennett (1946), Joseph Chandler (1957), Ernest Wilkie Jr. (1970), Gary Fletcher (1978), David Page (2018), David Merritt (2021), and Jeremy Klemm (2021).
Recent interior firefighting fatalities in North Carolina are Ronnie Metcalf (Lexington, 2024), Richard Sheltra (Pineville, 2016), Jeffrey Bowen (Asheville, 2011), and Victor Isler and Justin Monroe (Salisbury, 2008).
There have been no interior firefighter fatalities in the Raleigh-Durham metro area in recent decades.