Firefighter Fatality Notice for Sean William Camiel DeMuynck

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Firefighter DeMuynck and the members of his fire department were dispatched to a report of a roof fire in a residence. First-arriving firefighters found a working fire and extended a hoseline to the third floor of the residence to locate and fight the fire. Firefighter DeMuynck arrived on an engine company and assisted with establishing a water supply to the first-due apparatus.

Once the initial water supply was secured, Firefighter DeMuynck was assigned with other firefighters to relieve the initial attack crew that was running low on air. Firefighter DeMuynck entered the structure wearing full PPE and SCBA. At the 20 minute mark, the Incident Commander (IC) reported a working attic fire with 2 hoselines in service.

At 11:02 p.m., 28 minutes into operations, a Mayday was declared. The RIT was activated, the IC requested additional resources, the building was evacuated, and a Personnel Accountability Report (PAR) was conducted. At approximately 11:12 p.m., Firefighter DeMuynck was removed from the structure and transported to a local hospital.

Firefighter DeMuynck passed away in the early morning hours of July 5, 2021. The cause of death was burns.

photo of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial

Sean William Camiel DeMuynck 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

Lower Merion Fire Department/Penn Wynne-Overbrook Hills Fire Company
1440 Manoa RD
Wynnewood, Pennsylvania 19096

Chief: Edward “Ted” W. Schmid, III

Age:	35
Rank:	Firefighter
Classification:	Volunteer
Incident date:	July 4, 2021 11:00 p.m.
Date of death:	July 5, 2021
Cause of fatal injury:	Lost
Nature of fatal injury:	Burns
Activity type:	Advance Hose Lines/Fire Attack (includes Wildland)
Emergency duty:	Yes
Duty type:	On-Scene Fire
Fixed property use:	Residential