Four Bedford County firefighters at home recovering after weekend house fire

Fire believed to be caused by an overloaded circuit

BEDFORD CO., Va – Four Bedford county firefighters are at home with their families, after a near-death experience this weekend.

A mayday was declared when one of their own passed out while fighting a fire.

Bedford’s Fire Chief Jack Jones Jr. said mayday calls don’t happen very often for the department.

The aftermath has left them all emotional.

Overall, he said he’s proud of his firefighters and glad to know they are all alive.

On Saturday at about 6 p.m. firefighters were called to Joppa Mill Road, just north of Moneta, for a house fire.

As soon as they arrived, firefighters worked to put out the blaze out from the basement and first floor.

Shortly after, the mayday call went out for a group of firefighters who were in jeopardy.

Chief Jones said four of them suffered smoke inhalation.

One of them, who family members identified to 10 News as Logan Harles, was airlifted to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina.

She was unconscious and unresponsive when she was carried out of the house.

“We are very fortunate she didn’t have any external burns or burns on any part of her body or any soft tissue or orthopedic injuries,” Jones said. “Now is our opportunity to do a thorough assessment of what occurred and how can we prevent from such things from occurring."

Lynchburg’s fire marshal said the fire was accidental and caused by an overloaded circuit.

An investigation is still underway for what led to that mayday.

The department hopes these findings will help prevent this from happening in the future.

The department says the firefighters will be able to return to work but because their injuries vary, there’s no set timetable.


According to the Bedford County Department of Fire and Rescue, a Mayday was declared on a working fire Saturday around 6 p.m.

Bedford County deputies reported fire showing from multiple sides and multiple levels of the house in the 2500 block of Joppa Mill Road. Crews began their fire attack in both the basement and on the first floor.

According to the department, during the initial attack, the crew on the first floor reported high heat and limited visibility and decided to back up in order to reposition. The crew encountered some difficulties due to the lack of visibility. A “Mayday” was declared over the radio and emergency alarms were activated.

The department said the Incident Commander cleared all radio traffic and immediately dispatched a Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) to locate the firefighters needing assistance. The RIT crew located one unresponsive firefighter and immediately removed her from the house.

She was flown to Wake Forest Baptist Hospital, a level 1 trauma center, in North Carolina and is expected to be released sometime Sunday evening.

Two other firefighters were also experiencing an emergency and were assisted from the house, according to the department. They were transported by ground to Roanoke Memorial Hospital and to Bedford Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. One firefighter was treated and released Saturday and the other is expected to be released Sunday afternoon.

The department said another firefighter was also transported to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries unrelated to the “Mayday” incident. That firefighter was treated and released Saturday.

Crews from the Bedford Fire Department, Moneta Fire Department, Stewartsville-Chamblissburg Fire Department and Bedford County Department of Fire & Rescue responded.

No civilians were hurt.

Damages are estimated to be $75,000. The Red Cross is assisting the family.

The cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the “Mayday” incident are being investigated by the Bedford County Fire Marshal’s Office. The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office is assisting with the investigation.


About the Authors:

Jessica anchors 10 News on Saturdays and Sundays at 6 and 11 p.m. You can also catch her reporting during the week.