Former Navy commander killed running into fire to save son

Published 1:30 am Friday, July 10, 2026

A former commanding officer of an EA-18G Growler squadron at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island is being hailed as a tragic hero in national media after dying while running into a burning home in Maryland in an attempt to save his son.

Various national media outlets, including MSN and the New York Post, reported that Christopher Gierhart didn’t know his 10-year-old son had already escaped safely when he ran back into the burning home Sunday.

Fourth of July fireworks appeared to have started the blaze, a fire marshal told a local newspaper.

Gierhart, who was 50, was commanding officer of Electronic Attack Squadron 142 from August 2018 to November 2019, according to the base. After leaving Whidbey, Gierhart served as the Growler systems integration lead for the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office at Naval Air Systems Command.

He was quoted in a 2021 Naval Air Systems Command article about the first major upgrade to the aircraft platform since its inception.

The tragedy prompted an outpouring of support from friends and neighbors.

AOL News reported that the Maryland community has rallied to support Gierhart’s fiancee, Lauren Copenhaver, and his son after the devastating fire left them with little more than each other.

As of Thursday afternoon, a GoFundMe campaign, “Support For Lauren After Devastating Loss,” had raised nearly $50,000.

“As Lauren mourns the heartbreaking loss of Chris,” the fundraiser states, “she is also facing the overwhelming challenge of rebuilding her life from nothing.”

The fire destroyed the family’s home and nearly all of their belongings.