A firefighter has been killed in Michigan after being electrocuted by a downed power line, according to reports.
News Channel 3 reported that the fallen firefighter was a member of the Paw Paw Fire Department. The incident reportedly occurred around 6:30 p.m., February 22, 2023, on 30th Street near Red Arrow Highway in Van Buren County. According to MLive.com, the firefighter was rushed to a Kalamazoo hospital, but did not survive.
According to a release from the department, on Wednesday at 1744 hours, the Paw Paw Fire Department was dispatched to a reported downed tree limb on power lines that had caught fire in the township of Almena. On arrival, firefighters found a power line arcing on some tree branches. While crews were securing the scene, a tree branch fell, bringing down the power line, which struck Paw Paw Fire Lieutenant Ethan Quillen, 28, who was electrocuted.
Firefighters and medical staff on scene immediately rendered aid to Lieutenant Quillen, who was transported by Van Buren EMS to Bronson Hospital. He subsequently passed away.
Lieutenant Quillen was a Marine Corps veteran who served with the Paw Paw Fire Department since 2019. He leaves behind a wife and young daughter.
Tragic events such as this underscore the extraordinary danger firefighters face from electrical hazards when responding to emergency calls.
