Walker County Firefighter Dies in Accident/UPDATED WITH NEW DETAILS

UPDATED 1/1/09 AT 5:34PM

A Walker County firefighter dies while heading to the scene of a fire. Officials say it's the first ever in the county's history.

24-year-old Jarrett Little and two other firefighters were involved in an accident in Rossville late last night. We first told you about the accident last night on NewsChannel9 at 11.

Today, the firefighting community in two counties are mourning. The flags fly at half-staff today at fire departments across Walker and Catoosa Counties. It's in honor of one of their own.

"Jarrett's dream since the age of 12 was to be a firefighter," says Walker County Emergency Emergency Services Chief Randy Camp.

Little became a career firefighter in Walker County.

He was stationed at the Chickamauga Fire Station last night when the call came to head out to the fire. At around 10:45, it happened.

Corporal Chris DeBord with the Georgia State Patrol said, "he tried to turn left onto Mcfarland Avenue, apparently was running a little too fast for turn, brought a power pole down and went onto its top."

"It's been hard on all of us," says Fort Oglethorpe Fire Chief Bruce Ballew. "The chaplins are really getting a workout, but they're helping. I'm glad they're here for somebody to talk to."

Ballew says it's been hard for people in Catoosa County because Little started out, and was still, a volunteer firefighter for their department.

In fact, the Fort Oglethorpe was put on standby last night, to respond.

Within the hour, they heard of Little's death.

"If you had a project you wanted to do," says Ballew. "Putting some lights on a truck, a rail, or a radio, ask him to do it and he'd go get it done."

Firefighters we spoke with say they're remembering Little for his willingness to go where he was needed.

And they say with Little's passing, comes a reminder for safety.

"You never think it's gonna happen to you, and you hope and pray it never does," says Camp. "You just know it could happen in the line of work that we do, but you set that aside and go on doing the work you're entrusted to do."

The two other firefighters injured in the accident have been identified by Walker County Emergency Officials as Matt Mills and Adam Lozano. Both were released from Erlanger earlier this morning.

As for the fire that Little and his crew were responding to, crews tell us it was a small fire in a chimney on Windy Leigh Circle. No one was hurt.