Staff reports
At a ceremony held at the Burton Fire District Pinewood Fire Station on Wednesday evening, Sept. 10, attended by family, friends and coworkers, Andrew Wright was promoted to the rank of Captain, and continues the family’s proud and accomplished legacy in the fire service.
Andrew Wright’s father, Tony Wright, retired as a volunteer fire chief, but returned months later to serve again as an Assistant Fire Chief with Greenup Fire Rescue in Illinois, where all three of his sons, Andrew, Chris, and Tyler, followed in his footsteps as volunteer firefighters. Andrew Wright’s brother Chris is now a career fire chief with the Sullivan Fire Protection District (Illinois) and his brother Tyler is a shift captain with the same fire district.
“Andrew, like his father and brothers, is a dedicated public servant and member of the fire service,” Burton Fire District Fire Chief Harry Rountree said in a news release. “Our citizens and communities are fortunate to have men like these, and we are fortunate to have Andrew as a member and leader of our fire district serving our community. He continues quite a proud legacy.”
Andrew Wright briefly left the fire service in 2006 when he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving four years in aviation ordinance and deploying to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While in the Marine Corps, Andrew Wright earned the Good Conduct Medal, a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and a Navy Unit Citation award.
In 2010, Andrew Wright, who was a Corporal, was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps and was hired by the Burton Fire District in 2011. In 2013 he was selected as the Burton Fire District’s Firefighter of the Year, and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 2021.
Andrew Wright also serves as a South Carolina Fire Academy instructor and is a volunteer firefighter with the Sheldon Fire District.
As a Shift Captain, Andrew Wright will assist in the supervision, operations, and response of five fire stations and 18 firefighters, and will be responsible for planning and leading shift training.
