On the day that more than 1,000 fire and rescue personnel, law enforcement officers and residents paid their final respects to a Wisconsin firefighter, investigators announced the blaze in which he perished was accidental.
Jamison Kampmeyer, 34, the father of three young children, was killed last Sunday when the roof of the Abby Theater in Abbotsford collapsed.
The fire started in the lobby, and has been determined to have been accidental, Wisconsin State Fire Marshal Tina R. Virgil announced in a press release.
Investigators did not pinpoint the specifics of the fire that also left four firefighters hurt.
Kampmeyer was remembered Friday as a hero for his contributions not only as a firefighter but a sheriff's deputy and an EMT, according to The Marshfield News Herald.
A deputy for the Marathon County Sheriff's Department, Kampmeyer was promoted posthumously to detective, a rank he was scheduled to have next month.
About a dozen members of the Marathon County SWAT team, of which Kampmeyer was a member, wore their green uniforms and had the team's armored truck parked outside, according to the reporter's account.
Colby Fire Chief Ross Rannow said at the funeral that Kampmeyer took pride in his work and always sought different ways to help the public. "Helping people was Jamison's mission," he said.
Gov. Scott Walker who also attended the funeral reminded the crowd to thank emergency responders every day for the service they provide.
