Hutchinson County Commissioner Gary Alexander reported that Fritch Fire Chief Zeb Smith sadly died while fighting a structural fire.
According to reports, the 40-year-old hero had a deadly heart attack on Tuesday morning (March 5) while attempting to put out a house fire.

Officials stated at a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon that Smith had arrived at the scene of the house fire at approximately seven in the morning local time.
Hutchinson County officials stated in a news release on Tuesday morning that “Chief Smith, a dedicated public servant, was the first on the scene, demonstrating his unwavering commitment and service to the Fritch community.” “Chief Smith met unanticipated obstacles during the response and tragically passed away from his injuries despite receiving emergency medical attention and being quickly transported to Golden Plains Community Hospital.”

Chief Smith came on the site and entered the house and structure to see whether anyone inside needed to be rescued, according to Brandon Strope, a representative from the Hutchinson County Office for Emergency Management. Chief Smith stayed inside that house.

When other responders found the chief at 7:30 a.m., they quickly began providing medical attention.

He was rushed by authorities to a nearby hospital, where he sadly passed away from his wounds. To ascertain the precise reason behind his demise, an autopsy was asked for.”There was no direct connection between this building fire and the current wildfires. Strope explained, “It did not start as a cause of those wildfires, but I would be remiss if I did not state that Chief Smith and every other volunteer fireman in his department had responded and actively battled these fires for the previous nine days. Thus, I believe it is safe to claim that it played a part in the regrettable incident that occurred today.