Memory Of 4-Year-Old Honored By Fire Departments Across Country

LAKEWOOD, OH — Fire departments across the nation added a new firefighter this week, 4-year-old James Raugh. James was added to rosters after he and his family were killed in a house fire in South Carolina on Jan. 8. His family asked that departments make him an honorary member to remember the boy, because all he wanted to be when he grew up was a firefighter.

A fire at the mobile home Raugh shared with his two siblings and father killed the family on Jan. 8. Raugh's father was 25 years old and his siblings were 3 and 2 years old.

Lakewood Fire, in northeast Ohio, shared an image of its shift chalkboard. Sketched beneath Engine Company 3's name, and next to the pipeman title, is "J. Raugh."

"Our deepest condolences to the Raugh family," the department wrote in a social media post.

Raugh's family asked fire departments to make the 4-year-old an honorary crewman this week to honor his legacy. Departments across the nation answered the family's call and have shared images of their shift boards with the hashtag #JRaughonDuty.

Departments from Mentor to Lakewood to South Carolina to California have shared posts with the #JRaughonDuty. Most have included the line, "Rest easy, brother. We'll take it from here."

See some of the posts below.

Photo from Rick Uldricks, Patch