Myrtle Beach firefighter’s name added to state memorial today
A Myrtle Beach fire lieutenant’s name will be among the two names added to a state memorial Wednesday to honor fallen firefighters in the state, officials said.
Myrtle Beach Lt. John Burns, 50, was found unresponsive March 12, 2014, in a bunkroom of the fire station on 79th Avenue North in Myrtle Beach and died of natural causes, according to authorities.
Burns’ name along with the name of Firefighter-Paramedic Kellen Fleming, 29, of the Westview-Fairforest Fire Department in Spartanburg County will be added to the S.C. Fallen Firefighters Memorial during a ceremony Wednesday.
Fleming suffered a heart attack while in a bunkroom of the firehouse early Nov. 1, 2014, officials said.
They died while serving their communities so their deaths are considered in the line of duty, according to officials.
Burns had worked a 24-hour shift and the last call he responded to occurred before 2 p.m. on March 11, 2014. He was a 26-year veteran of the Myrtle Beach Fire Department.
Burns had received many accolades throughout his firefighting service; he was an active member of the Pee Dee Regional Urban Search and Rescue Team (USAR), S.C. State Certified Fire Instructor, and a former United States Army Ranger, officials said.
Contact TONYA ROOT at 444-1723 or on Twitter @tonyaroot.
This story was originally published April 8, 2015 at 10:10 AM with the headline "Myrtle Beach firefighter’s name added to state memorial today."