By Nick Schneider An American Flag was hoisted over the intersection of State Road 57/U.S. 231 and State Road 54 Sunday evening to pay tribute to a Washington native, who was killed in a firefighting accident in South Carolina on Tuesday. Here, a state police and firefighter motorcade is shown as it moved through Greene County. The flag was hoisted between aerial fire trucks from the Linton and Bloomfield fire departments.

SWITZ CITY -- Greene County firefighters and citizens paid tribute Sunday evening to one of nine Charleston, S.C. firefighters killed last week as his body passes through the area in route to his hometown of Washington for burial.

Firefighters from throughout the state held a brief ceremony for Mark Kelsey, 40, at the Indianapolis International Airport when his body arrived around 4:15 p.m.

From Indianapolis, the procession traveled along Interstate 70 to U.S. 237 to Indiana 67 and then Indiana 57 to Washington - passing through Greene County.

Members of the Linton and Bloomfield fire departments displayed at American Flags hoisted on their respective aerial trucks at the intersection of State Road 57/U.S. 231 and State Road 54 -- commonly known as The Lighthouse Junction.

As the procession passed the intersections, firefighters and other saluted or bowed their heads as a public gesture of respect.

Other county fire departments departments formed a caravan from the Owen-Greene County line on State Road 67 and helped to accompany Kelsey's body to Newberry, according to Highland Township Fire Department Chief Jim Abrams, who serves as president of the Greene County Fire Chief's Association.

The state police solemn procession then continued on to Washington where Kelsey's funeral will be held.

Kelsey was a 12-year veteran of the Charleston force and a 1985 graduate of Washington High School.

Last Tuesday, Kelsey and his comrades were killed in a furniture store blaze that resulted in the nation's worst loss of firefighters since the 2001 World Trade Center attack.

Charleston firefighters then will travel to Indiana for a funeral June 26 in the Washington High School gym.

Thousands of firefighters from across the nation gathered Friday in North Charleston, S.C., to honor their fallen comrades with a memorial service.

The investigation into the fire's cause was still under way.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.