07/30/2023
So grateful for our wonderful firefighters. RIP Jeremy. Redding Firefighters
Please join the Redding Fire Family in remembering fallen Brother Jeremy Stoke.
July 26, 2018:
“Shascom E5 responding, be advised all City resources are committed. The City is vacant…” the radio traffic from Engine 5 Captain to Shascom as E5 was dispatched to assist with firefighting efforts in the area of Sunset Terrace. The next 18 hours would be the longest night for many of our lives, a career firefight, the first recorded fire tornado in the history of U.S. firefighting, the tragic loss of large parts of the community, ultimately ending in the loss of our Brother Jeremy.
Many know Jeremy’s story, about how he returned to duty early from a family vacation and without hesitation assisted with the evacuation of numerous citizens in harms way. What many people don’t know is the man we knew who could lighten the mood anywhere. The Brother with a dry wit that you couldn’t help but chuckle when he threw some of his classic one liners, the fireman who despite full sleeve tattoos and a gruff voice was kind and gentle to all he encountered, the guy who loved his engine, his district and pushed E8 to the limit to get his crew safely at scene. We know that Brother. We know the man that loved his wife and his kids more than anything could ever describe, accepted you for who you are and embodied the sense of firemanship and brotherhood we should all strive for.
Rest easy Brother, we’ll take it from here.
Please visit the Jeremy Stoke Legacy Fire Foundation, https://www.stokelegacy.org, for information on how to honor and remember Jeremy.
