May 08, 2020

Missouri firefighter dies; became ill during fire call

Posted May 08, 2020 2:56 PM

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City-area firefighter who suffered a medical emergency while responding to a fire call has died.

The city of Independence said the firefighter died Thursday. The name of the firefighter has not been released.

A news release from the city said a residential fire was reported around 1 p.m. and firefighters from four stations responded. One of the arriving firefighters reported shortness of breath and stayed in the truck while others responded to the fire that was determined to be an illegal open burn.

Crews returned to the truck and found the firefighter unresponsive. The firefighter was later pronounced dead at a hospital.