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David Paul Fischer

Assistant Fire Chief

Assistant Fire Chief Fischer and the members of his fire department were dispatched to a residential structure fire at 1614hrs on September 7, 2018.  Firefighters arrived to find a well-involved structure made up of two attached manufactured dwellings with a metal roof overhead.  The fire had spread to vehicles and outbuildings near the home by the time firefighters arrived.  Firefighters could hear the sound of a propane tank venting.

Firefighters could not determine the location of the propane tank due to smoke conditions.  At this point, firefighters only had tank water to fight the fire and cool the tank.  The Incident Commander ordered an evacuation of area residents and directed firefighters to take defensive positions.

Approximately 24 minutes into the incident, the 500-gallon propane cylinder experienced a Boiling Liquids Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE).  Parts of the tank became airborne and one part dropped on Assistant Chief Fischer, killing him instantly.  Assistant Chief Fischer was 164 feet from the tank’s original position when he was struck.

The explosion and associated burning debris spread the fire to other buildings.  In addition to Assistant Chief Fischer, one other person was killed in the incident, the resident of the home originally on fire.  The cause of the fire was accidental, smoking in bed with oxygen in use.

Incident Location: Tilford, South Dakota (U.S. National Grid: 13T FK 2524 0642 (DD: 44.300, -103.430))

photo of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial
David Paul Fischer 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

Sturgis Volunteer Fire Department
1901 Ballpark Rd.
Sturgis, South Dakota 57785

Chief: Shawn Barrows

Age: 43
Rank: Assistant Fire Chief
Classification: Volunteer
Incident date: September 7, 2018 16:14
Date of death: September 7, 2018
Cause of fatal injury: Struck By
Nature of fatal injury: Trauma
Activity type: Support
Emergency duty: Yes
Duty type: On-Scene Fire
Fixed property use: Residential

Last updated: March 04, 2024