A Centerville firefighter has died after fighting a fire at a 300,000-square-foot building, reports The Des Moines Register (http://dmreg.co/1DtqV9C)
Des Moines television station KCCI said the firefighter, who has not been identified by authorities, had been released from the fire scene at Cowan Enterprises on Friday night and had gone home, where he died.
Authorities consider the firefighter’s death to have occurred in the line of duty.
The fire was reported around 7:30 p.m. Friday. When crews arrived, the 50-year-old structure was engulfed in flames.
Crews pulled back after they determined there was a 1,000-gallon propane tank outside the building and 500-gallon propane tank inside. The fire was under control by around 3 a.m. Saturday.
The owner of the building says everything inside it was destroyed, including campers, pickups, boats and trailers.
UPDATE (2/2/2015): According to the U.S. Fire Administration, Assistant Fire Chief Mike “Coop” Cooper, 61, died at home from a nature and cause of fatal injury still to be determined several hours after being released from the scene of a large structure fire in a commercial occupancy. He had 38 years of service.
