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Early logbook recounts chief’s death in blaze as Leesburg marks 150 years
Summary
Fire Chief Joe Mirra described finding a logbook entry that recounts an early-1900s fire in which Chief Ned Stevens died—an episode Mirra said exemplifies the department’s legacy of 'service over self.'
Research Mirra did for a presentation to the Leesburg Historical Society uncovered logbook entries describing a fatal fire involving an early chief, Mirra said. The logbook shows that two brothers served as chief and assistant chief; Chief Ned Stevens died after entering a structure to search for a missing child and likely suffered carbon-monoxide poisoning.
Mirra relayed the episode as an example of the department’s institutional character: “It’s a reminder of what is in our DNA that we will risk that to save that,” he said. He described how the assistant chief — Stevens’s brother — signed subsequent logbook reports. The account was presented as historical narrative drawn from archival logs, not as a contemporaneous official investigation.
The story was offered as part of the department’s 150th-anniversary reflection and Mirra said it underscores the department’s long-running commitment to risking personal safety to protect others. The host thanked Mirra for sharing the story and noted the department will continue the anniversary coverage in a later segment with Deputy Chief Ryan Henry.
