Community mourns loss of beloved Gilmer man killed in fireworks explosion

UPSHUR COUNTY — The Gilmer community is coping with the loss of Jared Maddox. According to our news partner KETK, the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that 58-year-old Jared Maddox died on July 4 due to a fireworks explosion. Residents who knew him well, are now talking about his impact in the Gilmer community. “Jared was a fantastic guy,” Joe Tillery said. “I mean he would help anybody anytime that anybody needed help. He was truly a man’s man. I guess you can say.” Maddox spent almost 30 years at the Longview Fire Department serving his community. Tillery said Maddox’s dedication to the department was second to none. “He would come up and spend the night with us before he ever became a paid firefighter, and he would stay all night and he would just stay at the fire station just waiting on the call to go try and help people,” added Tillery.

Longview Fire Department put out a statement Thursday on Facebook saying, “he was a good friend and comrade to all who knew him and would do anything he could to help out his brothers and sisters.” The phrase “helping people” seems to be a theme of how people are describing Maddox. “(He) helped a lot of folks you know and mentored them that came in that were young guys coming into the fire service,” said Tillery. “He was also there to teach and to lend a helping hand.”

Four others were injured. Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office and officials from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating.

In a statement from the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, ATF Agent Kevin Mack said the explosion happened as people were finishing setting up 300 3-inch fireworks shells and that it appears to have been caused by the electric match that fed a shell.