Incident Name:
Date: 3/9/1985
Personnel:  Frederick G  LeGrys
Age:  58
Agency/Organization:  Philomont Volunteer Fire Department, Philomont, VA
Position: firefighter

Summary:  On March 9, 1985, Firefighter Fred LeGrys, who was a volunteer firefighter for the Philomont Fire Department, died of a heart attack while digging line on a wildland fire in Loudin County, VA. He was wearing structural PPE.

Maps

Philomont Volunteer Fire Department, Philomont, VA

{mosmap lat=’39.056774’|lon=’-77.739926’|marker=’0’|text=’Philomont Volunteer Fire Department, Philomont, VA’}

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Reports, Documentation, Lessons Learned

  • Excerpt from Protective Clothing for Wildland Fire SuppressionProtective Clothing for Wildland Fire Suppression

    The article that this was transcribed from is no longer online — was at tinhelmet.com under archives_files/mauney_wildland.pdf

    The following portion was apparently a MTDC review of deaths of firefighters (1985-1999) wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) not designed for wildland fire conditions.

    The following has info on firefighters that died… Ch 8 (pp 26-27) heart attack and heat stroke fatalities.

    “The following individual firefighter fatality information was obtained from NFPA, NIOSH, and OSHA investigation reports as well as personal interviews with department personnel.”

    6.1 East Coast Fatalities

    (snip)

    In 1985, Loudon County, VA, Firefighter Fred Legriss died of a heart attack. A personal interview with his fire chief verifies he was wearing structural gear while digging line on a wildland fire.

  • MTDC: 1993 – Components of Wildland Fire Personal Protective Equiipment (PPE)

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Wildlandfire.com Links:

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Media Articles and Reports

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Photos, Videos, & Tributes

  • Find a Grave: Frederick G LeGrys
  • USFA Memorial Database: Frederick G LeGrys
  • Frederick G LeGrys is honored on the USFA National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, MD. Look for his name on the plaque under Virginia:

National Fallen Firefighter Plaque 1985

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