84-Year-Old Colorado Firefighter Dies after Fire

By Bill Carey
4 May 2022

CONEJOS COUNTY, Colorado – 9News.com and Denver 7 have reported on the death of an elderly, active Colorado firefighter.

Harold Joe Cordova, a career firefighter with the Manassa Fire Department, responded to a mutual aid call for a 20-acre controlled burn that was threatening houses near Manassa.

One the scene Cordova, 84 (according to 9News. Denver 7 states 83), reportedly told other firefighters he did not feel well and left early.

Cordova suffered a heart attack at home and died at Conejos County Hospital that same day.

Denver 7 reported that Cordova worked with the Central Conejos Fire Protection District and the Manassa Fire Department for more than 65 years.

Elderly firefighters and on-duty deaths is a topic that when discussed usually brings up ideas of service, commitment, physical ability, and fire department recruitment. Cordova’s death is likely to be recorded by the USFA. When it is he will not be the oldest to die this year. That designation belongs to an 85-year-old Missouri volunteer fire chief who died after being burned while fighting a grass fire in March.

Two other firefighters so far this year are in the group of elderly firefighter on-duty deaths. A 69-year-old Wisconsin volunteer firefighter was killed in January when the apparatus he was driving was struck while using a highway emergency crossover. A 69-year-old Pennsylvania fire chief died in April after responding to a EMS call.

Image courtesy of 9News.com/YouTube.