Death of Baltimore City Firefighter Under Investigation, Funeral Scheduled

Lt. James Bethea, 62, died Wednesday in what the Baltimore City Fire Department said Friday was ruled a line of duty death and one that has prompted an investigation into departmental procedures.

Bethea responded to a blaze in the 700 block of North Avenue at approximately 12:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12, according to The Baltimore Sun.

A volunteer firefighter called 911 after noticing Bethea’s vehicle in the middle of traffic hours after the fire had been put out, WBAL reported. Bethea was a fire safety officer, meaning his job was to keep personnel safe at the fire ground.

Investigators found Bethea’s body in the basement of a vacant house next to the home where the fire broke out, according to WJZ.

Bethea had been a firefighter for more than 40 years and retired in January from 24 years as a Baltimore Sun delivery driver, according to the newspaper. His family told The Baltimore Sun that fire safety and educating others were close to his heart.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake ordered flags in Baltimore to be flown at half-staff on Wednesday in honor of the fallen safety officer, Fox 45 reported.

On Friday, the cause of death was ruled smoke inhalation, WJZ reported.

“...it is a line of duty death,” Baltimore City Fire Chief Niles Ford told WBAL.

According to WBAL, Bethea did not issue a mayday call, and a dispatcher checked him in as having left the scene, which is not typically done and explains why his disappearance was not noticed sooner.

An investigation into departmental procedures is currently underway.

It was not known why Bethea was in the vacant house but Chief Ford told WJZ that it was “not unusual” for fire officials to look into things on their own.

In the vacant home where Bethea was found, half of the first floor was missing so he may have accidentally stepped off the edge and fallen into the basement, according to WBAL, which reported his face was injured.

Bethea was described by the Baltimore City Fire Department officials as a “father figure” who “mentored countless members of the department throughout his tenure,” according to Fox 45.

Visitation for Lt. James Bethea will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at Wylie Funeral Home, 701 North Mount Street, in Baltimore. A funeral will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20, at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore.

Screenshot from WBAL.