Colorado firefighter who died of cancer being honored

DENVER (AP) - Colorado is honoring a firefighter who died of cancer attributed to his work.

Flags on state buildings are being flown at half-staff in honor of the North Metro firefighter Craig Moilanen (MOY’-lah-nin) on Friday. A memorial service was held for the 36-year-old earlier in the day in Littleton.

He died Oct. 8 after a long battle with a form of leukemia and will be buried next week in Bismarck, North Dakota where he grew up. He leaves behind a wife and two young children.

Some studies show firefighters have a higher risk of certain kinds of cancer likely due to their exposure to chemicals in burning buildings.

KUSA-TV (https://on9news.tv/1I4yHIm) reports that Colorado is one of 33 states where firefighters diagnosed with some cancers are eligible for workers’ compensation.