Football team aids family, fire department during house fire

During the early-morning hours of July 16, members of the Liberty University Flames Football team helped the Lynchburg Fire Department put out a two-story house fire on Campbell Avenue. The student-athletes also provided aid to a 13-year-old boy who had to jump from the roof to escape the blaze. The 10 student-athletes were already on the scene when the department arrived.

“As a team, we are always encouraged to help others out,” sophomore Javon Frazier said. “Helping out during the fire meant that we were coming together as a team and serving our community in a way that will make a lasting impact on their lives and ours.”

On Friday, members of the fire department visited Liberty’s campus to thank Frazier and the nine other football players: Damian Bounds, Juwan Wells, Will Brown, Rion Davis, Mitchell Lewis, Malik Matthews, Korell Evans, Michael Anderson, and Cameron Jones. The mother of the boy has also met the players and thanked them for their assistance to her family.

“We cannot say enough about how thankful we are to these players for helping us,” said Greg Wormser, Lynchburg’s deputy fire chief. “They were helpful with assembling the equipment and more importantly, helping the occupants affected by the fire.”

Robert Lipscomb, battalion chief of the Lynchburg Fire Department, said that the department had to put in a water line from a fire hydrant to a ladder truck, which was 1,000 feet away.

“Our guys were struggling to pull this heavy hose, and Liberty’s team helped us get water to the ladder truck. Because of their help, we were able to put the fire out and save surrounding structures,” he said.

Lipscomb said many people do not realize the manpower it takes to put out a fire.

“Sometimes just knowing there are people out there willing to lend a hand does mean a lot to us,” he said. “The team was a very big help, and this was a testament to the servant attitude they have to the community.”

​View local coverage of the story at WSET.com.