NOONDAY, Texas — Saturday marks 17 years since two Noonday firefighters were killed while responding to a house fire in Smith County.
Austin Cheek, 19, and Captain Kevin Williams, 42, were on-duty to assist in combatting a house fire on Aug. 3, 2007. As the two men entered the home to extinguish hotspots, a flashover occured. Both of the men were killed inside the home.
Williams and Cheek were the first Smith County volunteer firefighters to die while on-duty, according to the Noonday Fire Department. On Facebook, the NFD honored the fallen firefighters with a post: "We Will Never Forget."
In a 2016 interview, firefighter Josh Britton said that the department has learned a number of lessons in wake of the tragedy, and he hopes it can also serve as a reminder to the people it serves.
“Appreciate what your local fire department does. Know that they can pay an ultimate sacrifice of losing their life," Britton said.