A retired Rochester firefighter who fell ill after rescuing fellow firefighters 30 years ago died Saturday.
Walter Hauser, 62, died following a long battle with multiple health issues, according to WHEC-TV.
In 1981, Hauser went back and forth five times into the basement of a blazing McCurdy Department Store to rescue fellow firefighters, reports indicated.
The arson fire left 26 firefighters injured.
Exposed to toxic funes, Hauser suffered severe damage to his lungs. He eventually endured a lung and heart transplant, and cancer, the station reported.
Hauser continued to work with the department for several years after the blaze.
Rochester Fire Chief John Caufield told reporters because of what happened to Hauser, the fire department adopted a mandatory policy requiring masks. He noted that the directive is saving lives.
Officials in the district attorneys' office says they are investigating the status of the man convicted of the arson, and are looking into whether they can press murder charges against him, according to the station's report.
That determination will be made after consultation with the medical examiner's office.
