Good Samaritan Loses Life While Trying to Fight Fire
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HENRY COUNTY, Tenn. — A Henry County man is dead after deputies say he tried to fight a fire in his own backyard. Neighbors say the victim, Wally Harrier, was a good man and was well respected by everyone in the area, but deputies say incidents like this are preventable. “The wind got up and evidently the brush fire got out of control,” Henry County Sheriff Monte Belew said. “Wally was out there trying to attempt to get it under control.” Neighbor Kelley Hinson says her husband is an emergency responder, and they were stunned when the call came through. “We looked over there and found that it was Wally,” Hinson said. “My husband went over and found out what happened.” “The investigation has led us to believe he was overcome by the smoke and the fire,” Belew said. “It wound up to be a fatal incident for Wally.” Wally Harrier was pronounced dead on the scene. Neighbors say it’s a major loss for the community. “It was a shock,” Hinson said. ‘We’ve been living next door to each other. He was always very nice. We’ve talked in the yard a little bit.” “Everybody knew him,” Belew said. “He was a good man. He did a lot for henry county. He did a lot for his country.” Although Harrier was only trying to protect his land, Sheriff Belew says it’s too dangerous to fight fires alone. Neighbors say the 66-year-old, Harrier, is survived by his wife, Donna.
