News

City remembers firefighter who died in pool hall fire

Shown, from left, are Clyde Maxwell, Floyd A. Jackson Jr., Mayor Edwards, Boyd Pittillo, Chief Edney.

By Bill Moss, Published: November 26, 2018

“Heroism and Sacrifice” is the aptly named sculpture in Raleigh that honors all of North Carolina’s fallen firefighters. The name of Floyd A. Jackson, Jr. adorns the memorial as the City of Hendersonville’s only firefighter to have lost his life in the line of duty. Today marks the 68th anniversary of Firefighter Floyd A. Jackson Jr.’s death.

“We continue to live on through the legacy of Firefighter Jackson,” said Chief Joseph Vindigni of the Hendersonville Fire Department. “We will always remember the sacrifice he made for the citizens of Hendersonville and surrounding communities.”

On Sunday, Nov. 26, 1950, Jackson answered his final call responding to a basement fire that had broken out below the Brunswick Lunch and Billiards at 241 North Main Street. At approximately 6:15 a.m., Jackson, 31, fell through a weak area in the floor as he was working at the scene. Shortly after falling into the basement, a pool table slid through the opening in the floor, landing on Jackson and killing him. Firefighter Jackson was laid to rest on Dec. 3, 1950, at Oakdale Cemetery in Hendersonville.

In addition to Floyd Jackson’s name appearing at the state memorial in Raleigh, his name can be found on the Hendersonville Fire Department Station 1 Dedication Statue and the Henderson County Fire and Rescue Memorial located at 851 N. Main Street.