United States Fire Administration
13 June 2024
The United States Fire Administration has announced the death of Firefighter Kenneth D. Caldwell, 63, of the LaCrosse Volunteer Fire Department on 6 June 2024.
On the morning of Thursday, June 6, 2024, Firefighter Caldwell responded to a field fire. During the response, Firefighter Caldwell used rescue equipment to cut through a fence so other firefighters could get equipment to the area of the fire. After the fire, he returned to the station and cleaned up the equipment. He mentioned to others that he was going to stop and get his mail on the way home. That evening, he missed a work detail at the firehouse.
On Friday, June 7, 2024, he failed to respond to a call. By Sunday morning, June 9, 2024, Firefighter Caldwell had not been seen or heard from since Thursday. Members of his department went to his residence to check on him. They found him deceased inside the home. He had collapsed and died while opening his mail, just a few hours after his emergency response to the fire incident.
Age: 63
Rank: Firefighter
Classification: Volunteer
Incident date: June 6, 2024 7:30 AM
Date of death: June 6, 2024
Cause of fatal injury: Stress/Overexertion
Nature of fatal injury: Heart Attack
Activity type: Setup
Emergency duty: Yes
Duty type: On-Scene Fire
Fixed property use: Outdoor Property
The number of on-duty deaths for 2024 currently is 26.
Go here to read the number of interior line of duty deaths for 2024.
Fatality status is provisional and may change as USFA contacts State Fire Marshals to verify fatality incident information.
For more information about on-duty deaths as recorded by the United States Fire Administration go to “Firefighter Fatalities in the United States.”
Photograph courtesy of the LaCrosse Volunteer Fire Department/Facebook.
Data Not Drama 