It was a tragic weekend for the nation's fire service.
Fire and rescue personnel in several states are setting aside Christmas plans as they schedule final salutes to dedicated members.
In Waycross, Ga., Lt. David Little, 50, died while battling a house fire Sunday.
"Jeff’s loss hits deep into the heart and soul of this community and fire department," said Waycross Fire Chief David Eddins.
The fire was intentionally set which means the person responsible will be charged with murder.
He previously worked at Childersburg Fire & Rescue and started with Waycross in 2002
In Ohio, the community lost not only a firefighter but the mayor.
Terry Richard Guss died Sunday of injuries sustained on Friday when he fell from the running board of an engine, and struck his head on the concrete bay floor at the South Zanesville Vol. Fire Department.
Guss was conscious and alert when he was rushed to a local hospital. However, a CAT scan showed bleeds in his brain. Following emergency surgery, he was placed on life support, according to reports.
It was disconnected, and he died Sunday afternoon.
In Virginia, a volunteer firefighter was killed in a crash while responding to a call in his personal vehicle on Saturday afternoon.
Josh Smith, 25, was a member of the La Crosse Vol. Fire Department.
“Since day one, he was a dedicated volunteer, ” La Crosse Volunteer Fire Department Chief Mike Clark told a reporter.
Officials said Smith, who grew up in the area, was liked and well-known in the community.
Meanwhile, firefighters in North Carolina are mourning the loss of a colleague, David Brophy.
Details of Brophy's death have not been released.
Brophy, a former firefighter in Niagra Falls, N.Y., reportedly responded to the World Trade Center after the terrorist attack on Sept. 11.
He had been with Roberson County since October.
