A firefighter critically injured in a fire that destroyed Carpenter Chiropractic Health Center on Monday night has died of his injuries. Investigators have not released a cause for the blaze. (Google Maps screen capture)
PLEASANTON – The Linn County volunteer firefighter seriously injured battling a fire on Main Street in Pleasanton has died of his injuries.
John Ham, spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), announced on Wednesday afternoon that Joshua Haynes, a 35-year-old firefighter from Pleasanton, succumbed to injuries sustained as he and other firefighters were battling a fire at the Carpenter Chiropractic Health Center late Monday night.
"Fellow firefighters rescued Haynes and provided aid until he could be life-flighted to the Kansas University Medical Center," Ham said in a statement. He also said that Haynes left behind a family with four children, and his family has asked for privacy in the wake of his death.
Haynes was a Linn County Rural Fire Department volunteer. Services for Haynes are set for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 29, at Pleasanton High School. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 29, also at the high school.
Ham said the fire was called in just before 11 p.m. on Monday. After the fire was brought under control, fire investigators remained on the scene throughout the night into the morning. He added that the single-story building was a total loss. Investigators continued their presence on the scene of the fire through Wednesday.
Local sources did indicate that the Pleasanton city fire department was involved in battling the fire along with Linn County Fire Departments from Pleasanton, Mound City, La Cygne and Prescott.
Ham said that the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s office requested ATF’s assistance in investigating the fire. So far, there has been no indication of arson, however, investigators plan to revisit the site on Wednesday.
Ham said that although ATF is brought in on fires where arson is suspected, the federal agency is also called in when a firefighter is seriously hurt. He said the agency worked to analyze fires and determine approaches to fighting fires that avoid injuries to firefighters.
He also said ATF and the Kansas State Fire Marshals Office will continue to investigate the cause of the fire, and that more information on the investigation will be provided as soon as it is available.