A Pineville firefighter was killed battling a fire Saturday night at a golf store in a strip mall on Pineville-Matthews Road.
Richard Sheltra, 20, worked with the Pineville Volunteer Fire Department for three years. He was named Rookie of the Year in January, though no longer new to the department, and was also recognized for being the member of the department who received the most hours of training last year. “This is a very sad day for our department, in particular the Pineville community, as we mourn the passing of a friend, a brother and very dedicated volunteer,” Chief Michael Gerin said in a statement Sunday.
A representative reached at the Sheltra home declined to comment Sunday and said the family was asking for privacy to grieve. The fire that claimed Sheltra’s life was reported shortly after 9 p.m. at Countryside shopping center, located at 8500 Pineville-Matthews Road. The Edwin Watts golf store, which had closed at 6 p.m. Saturday, was ablaze.