BRANDON, S.D. (AP) - A homeowner and a volunteer firefighter died after a blaze engulfed a home in the southeast South Dakota city of Brandon.
The homeowner was pronounced dead at a hospital after firefighters rescued him from his one-story home Sunday night, minutes after his daughter was woken up by the fire alarm and sought help. The body of the firefighter was discovered hours later in the home’s basement, where authorities suspect the blaze began.
Brandon Police Chief David Kull identified the homeowner as 47-year-old David Smith. The firefighter was 38-year-old Steven Ackerman with the Valley Springs Fire Department.
Firefighters responded to the scene shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday and encountered heavy smoke coming from the garage. Smith was taken from the home around 10:35 p.m., and five minutes later, all firefighters were ordered out of the burning home.
Ackerman was reported missing about 11 p.m. His body was found in the basement about 1:30 a.m. Monday and recovered around 10:30 a.m., when it was transported to the coroner’s office. The cause of death of both men has not been determined.
“This is going to have ripples throughout the whole area; this is going to affect firefighters in the state and the area pretty hard,” Brandon Fire Chief Gary Lembcke said of Ackerman’s passing. “Unfortunately, this is sometimes what it takes to bring people together, but there will be quite a gathering of firefighters coming together to give this brother the respect he deserves.”
The fire marshal inspected part of the garage late Monday morning. The cause of the fire will be determined over the next few weeks, but authorities say they do not believe it is suspicious.
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