The teenage N.Y fire captain killed last month battling a chimney fire with extension died of irreversible respiratory failure that led to cardiac arrest.
It also has been determined that the fire that Mount Marion Capt. Jack Rose, 19, was fighting originated in a wall near a wood stove. Therefore, the incident has been ruled an accident, according to a joint investigation by state and local officials.
Rose became separated from his crew, who found him in the basement. He was rushed to a local hospital, but could not be revived.
A federal probe of the incident has not been finished.
Linda Rose issued a statement about her son at Christmas:
“Jack Rose was a heroic and kind person who cared for the people he loved and for his community. I’m happy to have been Jack Rose’s mother for the short time that I had him. I am proud to call him my son. He was a gift.
“I have been overwhelmed by the personal stories from individuals in our community about how Jack has touched their lives in one way or another. But I really do feel that the extraordinary response to Jack’s passing is because Jack symbolizes exactly what Christmas is all about: selflessness, loyalty and sacrifice. We need more Jack Roses in the world.”
Rose had been a firefighter for about three years.
