Duty of Care

On Thursday morning, October 8, 2026, Durham, North Carolina, Firefighter Andrew Brokes, 24, was killed and two other firefighters were injured when part of a burning multi-story building on Marly Drive collapsed, according to the Durham Fire Department and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation as reported by ABC11. Brokes joined the department in May 2025 and was assigned to Tower Company 5.

The SBI said crews were called at about 3:15 a.m. and arrived at 3:21 a.m. to find flames coming through the roof and other parts of the building. At about 3:31 a.m., a portion of the building collapsed, causing the second floor to also collapse, while multiple firefighters were on the roof and inside the first floor. Several firefighters were trapped on the first floor. The Durham Fire Department said Brokes was searching for victims inside the building at 410 Marly Drive. The two injured firefighters were treated at Duke and are expected to make full recoveries.

The SBI’s Arson Unit is investigating the cause and origin of the fire and the circumstances of the death. For fire crews, the defenses this points to are building size-up shared early, elapsed-time reports, collapse zones, and a command culture where pulling crews out early is expected, not second-guessed.

• ABC11 Raleigh-Durham
• Firefighter Close Calls (Durham Fire Department statement)