By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
- • Butler County Fire Protection District Shift Commander Jackson Warren was killed Friday in a single-vehicle crash while responding to a call in Missouri.
- • The 27-year-old was driving a fire apparatus to a grass fire on Highway W north of Poplar Bluff when the vehicle left the roadway and rolled over.
- • Another firefighter riding with Warren was injured and treated at a local hospital.
- • Warren had recently been promoted and was on his first shift as shift commander at the time of the crash.
- • Funeral arrangements have been set, and the incident is being investigated as a line-of-duty death.
BUTLER COUNTY, Mo. — A Butler County Fire Protection District shift commander was killed Friday afternoon when the fire apparatus he was driving crashed while responding to a reported grass fire, authorities said.
Missouri Fire Service Funeral Assistance Team/Facebook
Shift Commander Jackson Warren, 27, died at the scene when the vehicle he was operating left Highway W and rolled over around 4 p.m. north of Poplar Bluff, according to law enforcement and fire officials. Another firefighter riding with him was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries that were later described as minor.
Warren had recently been promoted to shift commander and was working his first shift in that role when the crash occurred. He joined the Butler County Fire Protection District in October 2021 and served with the department for more than four years.
Local and state troopers responded to the crash and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the single-vehicle rollover. Officials did not immediately release details on factors that may have contributed to the incident.
Funeral arrangements have been announced by Cotrell Willow Ridge Funeral and Cremation Services. Visitation is scheduled for Thursday, March 12, at First Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff, with services to follow later in the day.
Warren is survived by his young daughter, parents, siblings and grandparents. Fire departments in the region have offered support to his family and colleagues as they mourn his loss.