By Steve Klamkin WPRO News
A 72-year old veteran firefighter with 33 years of service died Wednesday morning battling a chimney fire in a remote log cabin-style home in a remote section of Burrillville.
Richard Jenks staggered out of the burning home just minutes after firefighters responded to the 8:50 A.M. blaze at 2044 Hill Road in the Pascoag section of Burrillville, a stone’s throw from the state border with Massachusetts.
“He went in the building, he came out, somebody picked him up and said, ‘are you alright?’. He said ‘no, I’m going to continue to fight the fire’, and they brought him down to the end of the road here, and that is where he collapsed,” said Pascoag Deputy Fire Chief Keith Carter, the incident commander.
Jenks was given cardiopulmonary resuscitation, rushed to Landmark Medical Center in Woonsocket where he was pronounced dead.
The stubborn chimney fire was brought under control in about 45 minutes.
Carter said members of the volunteer fire department are taking the death hard.
“They are, very hard. I’ve known the gentleman … probably most of my life. A close friend, excellent guy. He was an EMT, a firefighter, just an all-around good guy.” He asked for prayers for the man’s family.
The state fire marshal’s office was on the scene conducting an investigation.
Updates with identification of the victim.
