LOUISVILLE, Ky. — 24-year-old Craig Drury was a volunteer firefighter in the Louisville area when he died on the job.
He died from his injuries days after running into a burning home. The death is still difficult for his fellow first responders because this fire wasn't accidental; it was arson.
Three decades later, no one has been held accountable.
“I can remember it like yesterday,” former Highview Fire Chief Dave Goldsmith said. "You wonder how you remember 30 years ago but I can tell you, I remember almost every move that I made that night."
Drury's death left his community stunned. Looking back at funeral footage, then-Highview Fire Chief Rick Larkins described the pain.
“You can see it in the eyes of a lot of folks… they were hurting and they still hurt today."
The fearless firefighter ran into a burning home on Aug. 24, 1994.
He had seven years of experience and was a sergeant at the time, but this fire was powerful. A chemical cleaning agent had been poured throughout the home igniting what’s called "flashover."
"We got there too fast," Larkins said. "We were entering that house before its full ignition had happened. So there were still chemicals in there and when it lit up, there was just no going back."
Drury fell unconscious while inside the house and had to be pulled from the charred building. His injuries were so severe a rescue helicopter was called in to transport him to the burn unit as fast as possible.
"While in the hospital, [he] couldn't talk. He was intubated," Larkins said. "He wrote, ‘I'm sorry.' For what? You didn't do anything Craig. You were just doing your job."
Meanwhile, Larkins was trying to do his. He was a brand new chief leading a heartbroken department, and an arson investigation.
"This thing was so involved," he said. "There were so many detectives. So many people looking at this thing."
Twelve days after the fire, on Sept. 5, Drury died from his injuries. His funeral was held on the very same day he had planned to say his vows.
"Craig was to be married the day he was buried," Goldsmith said. "To think about his life...it was ended over somebody setting a house on fire. Did they intend to kill a firefighter? I don't think so. But they started a fire that did kill a firefighter and that's something that I'll never forget."
Within days of Drury’s death, the investigation was all hands on deck. It was no longer only arson teams, but homicide investigators from the Jefferson County Police force joining the operation.
"They sent every detective they had,” Larkins said.
It wasn’t long before the pieces started coming together. Detectives identified a fire accelerant as a cleaning solvent used for industrial equipment.
"Somehow it got from the garage to poured all over the house," Larkins said.
Next, investigators were able to identify suspects. Larkins said they had an idea of who was involved early on, and all signs kept pointing back to the same person.
But that person was never arrested.
"The evidence was there but it wasn't as concrete as it needed to be," he said.
He said it was a frustrating process. Everyone believed they had the pieces but couldn't finish the puzzle. Ultimately, taking charges to court was a risk prosecutors weren't willing to take.
"It was one of those things if we take it to court and we lose, it's over," Larkins said.
Days turned to weeks, and then months and years. Every August brought back bad memories for the first responders and Drury’s family.
"A lot of firefighters go through their career and never have a tragedy like that,” Goldsmith said through tears.
His pain is still palpable 30 years later. He hopes accountability is still possible.
"I just wish whether they are still with us or not, I wish somebody would let us know who started that fire so we could put closure to this entire event," Goldsmith said. "It won't make anything different, it wouldn't bring Craig back, but it would at least give his sister some closure."
Even though the case has not been closed, the team has found ways to honor Drury and his legacy. One of the most impactful is found at the training academy, where young firefighters are learning about the deadly threat that took their friend’s life.
It’s a training prop for flashovers, which happen in burning buildings when most of the combustible materials inside ignite simultaneously. His fellow firefighters advocated for it after his death.
Now all firefighters in the training academy learn the four signs of a flashover before they ever face one.
"We teach that today, but we didn't teach that back then,” Goldsmith said.
It’s an important part of keeping Drury’s legacy alive.
"As long as I live his memory will stay alive. Whether it’s teaching other firefighters or telling what a great person he was,” Goldsmith said.
It's a promise made in the name of service, from one first responder to another.
Although all detectives who worked on this investigation are retired, this is still considered an open homicide case. If you have any information that could help investigators, report it to Louisville Metro Arson at 502-573-2934.