Asheville, NC-- A North Carolina firefigher who died in the line of duty last year will get a bridge named after him later this summer.
Wednesday, the NC Department of Insurance and Office of State Fire Marshal announced the decision. The dedication is scheduled for August 15 at the Smoky Park Bridge in Asheville.
The bridge will be renamed as a memorial to Capt. Jeff Bowen, an Asheville firefighter who lost his life in the line of duty in July 2011. The state Board of Transportation voted in April to name the bridge in honor of Bowen.
Bowen, a 13-year veteran of the Asheville Fire Department, was fatally injured responding to a four-alarm fire in a medical office building on July 28, 2011. Nearly a dozen other firefighters suffered injuries; more than 200 people escaped the building unharmed. The fire was ruled an arson.
Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Wayne Goodwin said this about the decision: "Capt. Bowen gave his life protecting others," Goodwin said. "To his family, friends and fellow firefighters, we hope to express our humble gratitude for his and their service and sacrifice."
NCDOI/Office Of State Fire Marshal