Hopelawn VFD Firefighter Bruce Turcotte dies at Woodridge, NJ house fire. Collapses while stretching hose. Civilian found dead in home.
The Star-Ledger's coverage can be found at NJ.com.
Photos from the fire by Noak K. Murray, The Star-Ledger
Click here to follow STATter911.com on Facebook (hit "like")
Volunteer fireman Bruce Turcotte, of Hopelawn Volunteer Fire Department in Woodbridge, suffered the heart attack while helping to extinguish a fire at 33 Jefferson Street in the Menlo Park Terrace section of the township this afternoon.
Turcotte later died at JFK Medical Center in Edison, according to Woodbridge mayor John McCormac. He was 58.
“Bruce was an outstanding fire fighter and public servant,” McCormac said. “He loved the fire company. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”
Firefighter Bruce Turcotte. Photo by Keith Addie, www.njfiregroundphotos.com.
Firefighters were called to 33 Jefferson St. at about 1:20 p.m., according to Woodbridge Township spokesman John Haggarty.
They were told a person was unaccounted for, and went into the home to retrieve the missing man. Firefighters found the deceased male victim in the basement, said Haggarty. He has not been identified.
A lifelong firefighter with the Hopelawn Fire Department was laying a hose outside when he suffered a heart attack, according to Haggarty.
