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Charles James Vodak

Firefighter

Firefighter Vodak and other members of his department had been fighting a prairie fire for over four hours. Firefighter Vodak complained of chest pains and experienced a heart attack. Other firefighters performed CPR on Firefighter Vodak for an hour as they waited for an ambulance to arrive at the isolated fire location. The path of the fire was ten miles wide in some places and it eventually consumed 70,000 acres.
photo of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial
Charles James Vodak was honored on the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland and was included in the USFA’s annual report Firefighter Fatalities in the United States.

Department information

Dunning Fire Department
PO Box 66
Dunning, Nebraska 68833-0066

Chief: Jim Reiter

Age: 45
Rank: Firefighter
Classification: Volunteer
Incident date: March 16, 1999 19:20
Date of death: March 16, 1999
Cause of fatal injury: Stress/Overexertion
Nature of fatal injury: Heart Attack
Activity type: Advance Hose Lines/Fire Attack (includes Wildland)
Emergency duty: Yes
Duty type: On-Scene Fire
Fixed property use: Outdoor Property

Last updated: June 13, 2012