An Illinois firefighter died battling a multi-alarm fire at a two-story commercial building early Sunday.
The fallen Christopher firefighter was identified as Kody Vanfossan, 24, WSIL-TV reports. Vanfossan was the grandson of Christopher Mayor Gary Bartolotti, and he had been fighting the blaze with his father, the police chief told the TV station.
"It is with the deepest regret that we mourn the loss of City of Christopher Firefighter Kody Vanfossan," the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency stated in an online update. "Firefighter Vanfossan lost his life in the line of duty during a multi-alarm commercial building fire early this morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with Kody’s family, friends and fellow members of the Christopher Fire Department."
More than 17 fire departments responded to the fire, which broke out at around 3:30 a.m. at a vacant furniture store, according to WSIL. A mayday call was issued for Vanfossan after the steps he was on in the rear of the building collapsed about an hour into the response, the U.S. Fire Administration reports.
"We were able to bring one of those people out and then the other we did not recover until later," Christopher Fire Chief Ron Learned told WSIL.
The fire is currently under investigation.
