WV Firefighter Dies Trying to Stop Person Going into Fire

A West Virginia volunteer firefighter died from injuries he suffered trying to prevent an individual from going back into a burning house Sunday.

Iaeger firefighter Russ Roberson was part of a multi-department response that arrived at around 2:45 a.m. at the scene of a residential blaze in McDowell County, Iaeger Police Chief Chris Riffe told WVNS-TV. When crews arrived at the address, the house was engulfed in flames.

Authorities said Roberson apparently suffered smoke inhalation while trying to stop a person from entering the burning home, and the firefighter died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. It's not clear what happened to the individual Roberson was trying to save from the flames.

An autopsy is set to be performed on Roberson, who had been with the department for several years, according to a GoFundMe page that was created to help his family pay for funeral expenses. 

"He was a dedicated fireman and loyal friend," reads the page for the online fundraising campaign, which had raised a little more than $1,000 of its $9,000 goal as of early Monday. "Russ was loved by us all and will be dearly missed. His loss has left us all heartbroken."

The West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the blaze. Firefighters from Bradshaw, Hanover, Coal Mountain, Welch, War, and Kimball Volunteer Fire Departments responded to the call.