United States Fire Administration
29 July 2025
The United States Fire Administration has announced the death of Captain Nicholas Van Dam, 37, of the Murdo Volunteer Fire Department on 26 July 2025.
While responding to the War Creek Fire (Jones County, South Dakota) in a 2,000-gallon tender, Captain Nicholas Van Dam was involved in a motor vehicle accident. Captain Van Dam was ejected from the vehicle as it left the roadway and rolled. Captain Van Dam sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Age: 37
Rank: Captain
Classification: Volunteer
Incident date: July 26, 2025 8:00 PM
Date of death: July 26, 2025
Cause of fatal injury: Vehicle Collision – Includes Aircraft
Nature of fatal injury: Trauma
Activity type: Driving/Operating Vehicle/Apparatus
Emergency duty: Yes
Duty type: Responding
Fixed property use: Outdoor Property
The number of on-duty deaths for 2025 is currently 49.
Go here to read the number of interior line of duty deaths for 2025.
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.”
Photo courtesy of Murdo Volunteer Fire Department/Facebook.
Data Not Drama 