Two people have been charged in connection with a fire that killed a North Carolina fire chief, officials said.
The Lexington Fire Department announced Friday that Lt. Ronnie Metcalfe suffered burns to 60 percent of his body and died several days later.
Firefighters responded to the house fire just after midnight Tuesday and found fire and smoke coming from the back of the house. LFD said crews entered the home to extinguish the fire, but were ordered to evacuate minutes later.
As crews evacuated, Metcalf was reported missing, and search teams re-entered the home to search for the fire chief.
Metcalfe, a 19-year LFD veteran, was treated for burns at the scene and then transported by helicopter to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hospital.
The two are charged with breaking and entering.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Lexington police announced Saturday that they arrested two people, Brandon Alan Hoskins, 31, and Stacey Blair Steagall, 37, on misdemeanor charges related to the fire.
Authorities did not release additional information about whether Hoskins and Stegall were involved in the fire. Police said the two were arrested at another location where they illegally entered. The two were charged with additional charges of trespassing.
Investigators found “evidence of illegal drug possession” while searching the space where the two were found. Hoskins and Stegall were later charged with felony possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
They are being held in the Davidson County Jail without bail pending their first court appearance, police said.
Police said the investigation is “very active” and involves multiple agencies, including the Lexington Fire Department and Lexington Fire Marshal's Office, the Davidson County Fire Marshal's Office, the North Carolina Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Northern Division. He said that they are working together to make progress. Carolina Insurance Department.