Ward acting Fire Chief Freddy C. Reeves, 85, died on March 25, from injuries he received when battling a March 3 grass fire.
Reeves was attempting to put out a grass fire when his pants caught fire and he sustained injuries. When other firefighters arrived on the scene, they helped in fighting the fire.
He then drove approximately five miles and brought back a fire apparatus to continue fire suppression operations, the U.S. Fire Administration said in a press release.
When an ambulance arrived, Reeves was transported to a local hospital and then to the burn center at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, MS. His condition improved and he responded to treatment.
However, Reeves subsequently became increasingly ill after responding to treatment and passed away from his injuries on March 25.
Reeves served the Ward community and all of Sumter County for 42 years, he was instrumental in creating many of the departments in the Sumter County area and surrounding counties.
Reeves was one of the first certified and accredited firefighters in the state of Alabama when he was certified in 1985.
