A firefighter passed away hours after working the Maple Springs wildfire in western North Carolina Wednesday.
Darryl Elden Vielle, 51, was found dead in his Robbinsville hotel room in Wednesday morning, according to KRTV.com.
Vielle was part of the Browning-based Blackfeet Tribal Fire Management Program that handles logistics for fires.
The eight-person Blackfeet crew has been working the fire since Nov. 10.
"Throughout our history, members have stepped up in service to family, Tribe and country. Darryl is an example of that call to service and this unfortunate turn of events does not lessen his answering the call," Blackfeet Tribal Chairman Harry Barnes said in a statement.
An autopsy was ordered to determine the cause of death.
