By Lexi Solomon, Kristen Johnson
The News & Observer
DURHAM, N.C. — A 24-year-old Durham firefighter was killed Thursday morning when the roof of a burning building collapsed while crews battled the flames.
The firefighter was identified Thursday afternoon as Andrew Brokes, who joined the Durham Fire Department in May 2025.
Firefighters responded about 3:15 a.m. to a 911 call reporting a fire at 410 Marly Drive near U.S. 70 in southeastern Durham, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.
Brokes was fatally injured while searching for victims, the city said. Two other firefighters, who haven’t been named, were injured and taken to Duke University Hospital for treatment. They have been released. No one else was injured.
The SBI’s arson unit is collecting evidence to determine the fire’s origin and cause, and the circumstances of the fatal collapse.
Fire Chief Robert Zoldos II called Brokes’ death a “heartbreaking loss for our department, the family, and the entire community,” according to a statement.
Brokes was assigned to Fire Station 13 on Tower Company 5 and was a “dedicated public servant who served the City of Durham with honor, courage, and integrity,” according to a statement from the City of Durham.
The News & Observer has reached out to the Durham Fire Department, the City of Durham, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office and the SBI for more information about Thursday’s incident.
A ‘dark day’ in Durham
After the 911 call, crews arrived six minutes later and found heavy smoke and flames before entering the building.
At 3:31 a.m., part of the building’s roof collapsed, bringing down the second floor and trapping several firefighters working on the ground level.
During a Durham City Council meeting Thursday afternoon, City Manager Bo Ferguson thanked the emergency crews who responded to the fire and said the city has extended full support to the crews and city employees, and will be supporting the family of the fallen firefighter.
Ferguson called it an “extremely dark day” for the fire department.
“All occupants, it is now determined, were out of the building so no one else was injured,” he said.
The family of the fallen firefighter came on the scene, Ferguson said. He met with them and offered condolences on behalf of the city.
Mayor Pro Tem Javiera Caballero called for a moment of silence during the meeting, saying it was a “hard day for our community.”
The second firefighter injury report
This was the second fire the Durham Fire Department reported in the last two days in which firefighters were injured.
Early Wednesday, crews responded to a house fire in the 5000 block of Garrett Road off Old Chapel Hill Road in Durham. A structure on fire behind the home had spread to the house, but the fire was under control in 30 minutes, the department said. A firefighter was treated for a minor injury at a local hospital, and no one else was hurt.
Procession staged to honor firefighter
Late Thursday morning, firefighters and fire apparatus were staged along Interstate 40 and Blue Ridge Road to honor the Durham firefighter, according to Legeros Fire Line on Facebook.
Mike Legeros, who runs the social media page, said the firefighter’s body was being taken to the N.C. State Medical Examiner’s Office, which is off Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh.
Processions are typically staged by fire, police and emergency medical departments for members who die in the line of duty. Sometimes, the families of the victims will join the routes.
Some elected officials have released statements about the firefighter’s death, including state Sen. Natalie Murdock, who represents Durham.
“It takes a special person to choose a profession that puts the lives of others before themselves,” she said. “Each day firefighters risk their lives to save ours.”
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