The decision by Workforce Safety and Insurance has prompted criticism from the man's friends and an attorney for his widow, and an agency spokesman said it may be reconsidered.
George Raber, 69, suffered a heart attack last July while fighting a 400-acre grass fire southwest of Hebron. He was trying to check a water pump on the fire truck when he became ill. A former fire chief, Raber had been part of Hebron's volunteer fire department for more than 40 years.
Raber's family may be eligible for up to $250,000 in death benefits. Last year, the Legislature increased the maximum from $197,000. Workforce Safety and Insurance, which was formerly known as the Workers Compensation Bureau, provides insurance coverage for workers who are injured or killed on the job.
The agency denied Raber's claim, saying there was no evidence his death was work-related, or that unusual stress was involved. Mark Armstrong, a WSI spokesman, said the claim is being re-examined.
``It's not unusual that we will reverse ourselves, with additional medical evidence,'' he said.
Michael Halpern, an attorney for Raber's widow, Aloha, said there ``ought to be compensation for the death of a volunteer firefighter, fighting a rather severe fire that endangered homes.''
Darrell Graf, a volunteer firefighter and friend of Raber's, said the insurance agency should have taken a closer look at Raber's claim before denying it.
``The man puts his life on the line, and dies, and the family has to go through this,'' Graf said.
