KITTERY, Maine — Memorial Bridge between Kittery and Portsmouth, NH will be lit up red Friday night in the honor and memory of Berwick Fire Captain Joel Barnes.
Barnes died in March 2019 while fighting a fire at an apartment building. He threw himself on top of a fellow firefighter, saving his partner's life.
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation sponsors an annual “Light the Night” for fallen firefighters, where landmarks and fire departments across the country glow red in respect of fallen firefighters and their families. Barnes was originally supposed to be honored during that celebration and memorial. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was postponed.
So, in honor and memory of Barnes and all fallen firefighters, Berwick Fire Department applied with the City of Portsmouth to light the Memorial Bridge red on Friday, October. Their request was accepted and the bridge will be illuminated 30 minutes after sunset on Friday and remain illuminated until 30 minutes before sunrise on Saturday.