lit a candle 7h agoI don't really know what to say. Never been to Selma, never met the man, but a firefighter dying at the station after 27 years on the job just stops you for a second.
Their story
Aeneas Pettway was a captain with Selma Fire/Rescue in Selma, Alabama, who served the department for 27 years. Known to colleagues as "Capt. P," he was the department's fire investigator and fire inspector at the time of his death. He died in the line of duty on Friday 6 November…
Aeneas Pettway was a captain with Selma Fire/Rescue in Selma, Alabama, who served the department for 27 years. Known to colleagues as "Capt. P," he was the department's fire investigator and fire inspector at the time of his death. He died in the line of duty on Friday 6 November 2026, aged 58, after a medical emergency while on duty.
Pettway spent nearly three decades with the Selma Fire/Rescue Department, rising to the rank of captain. In his later years he took on the specialist work of fire investigation and inspection, determining how fires started and checking buildings to help prevent them. Selma Fire/Rescue said he had "an unmistakable love for the job, an unshakeable positive attitude, and an unwavering commitment to keeping Selma safe."
The department remembered him as a colleague who was always ready to help. "Whether answering a call for help or stepping up to support fellow firefighters, he was always eager to lend a hand and lead with a smile," its statement said. The Montgomery Advertiser also described him as a veteran.
Selma Mayor Johnny Moss said Pettway suffered the medical emergency at the firehouse rather than out in the field. The exact cause of death remained under investigation, but the mayor said a preliminary investigation showed it stemmed from natural causes. Fire Chief Walter Dailey confirmed the death to WSFA 12 News on the morning of Saturday 7 November, and the department named him in a statement on Facebook the same day.
Selma Fire/Rescue thanked the community and the wider fire service for an outpouring of thoughts, prayers and support, and asked people to keep his family, friends and fellow firefighters in their prayers. Funeral arrangements had not been announced in the first reports, and the department said details would be shared once they were finalised.
His death was covered by WSFA 12 News, al.com, the Montgomery Advertiser and the Black Belt News Network, and drew condolences from firefighters across Alabama. For a department the size of Selma's, the loss of a captain with nearly three decades of experience was keenly felt, both for his knowledge of fire investigation and for the steady, cheerful presence colleagues described.
Biography adapted from Selma Fire/Rescue statement (7 November 2026); WSFA 12 News; al.com (Carol Robinson); Montgomery Advertiser; Black Belt News Network.
Photos
1by People Forever
same, saw this on a feed and just sat with it a minute