Firefighters rush to rescue U.S. flag outside burning building in VA, video shows
A building in Virginia caught on fire last week, becoming a “total loss,” according to WRIC. But what firefighters did at the scene is continuing to draw comments on Facebook.
Video from Hopewell Fire & Rescue shows members of the crew taking down a U.S. flag that was on a pole outside the burning Hopewell Moose Lodge.
Fire Chief Donny Hunter told Fox News that crews thought flags at the scene could be caught in the flames.
“We took that opportunity to go up and save the flag as kind of a symbol of hope, hopefully for the Moose... and having no idea it would turn into a social media storm,” he told the outlet.
Some Facebook users on the fire department’s page applauded the fire department’s actions.
“You all always do such hard job,” one user said. “So thoughtful to take flag down while fighting fire. Such a loss of Moose Lodge. So glad will be rebuilt.”
Other users questioned whether fire officials were using the proper equipment and practices. One Facebook user said, in part: “Dangerous. Risk nothing to save nothing.”
As for the fire, crews spent almost two hours battling the blaze, which had “flames sparking out 20 to 30 feet in the air,” according to WRIC.
Firefighters returned the flag to the Moose Lodge after saving it, the fire chief told Fox News.
“That’s crazy and I think it’s awesome that they’d take time to do that,” Moose Lodge member Kaloeb Crockett said, WTVR reported. “That shows what that means to them.”
