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Read report into LODD of MD Firefighter Gene Kirchner, Reisterstown VFC
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A year ago today (Thursday), firefighters responded to a fire at a house on Hanover Road in Reisterstown with people trapped inside, and Gene Kirchner and his partner headed straight for the second floor.Minutes later, amidst heavy smoke, zero visibility and extreme heat, an emergency signal led his fellow firefighters to Kirchner, who was unconscious, and he was not wearing his face piece, his hood nor his helmet.That revelation was part of a 140-page report released by the Baltimore County Fire Department one year after the fire that ultimately took the life of Kirchner and 58-year-old Steven Starr, a resident of the house.
“There was a thorough examination of the physical evidence, including his gear. That examination showed everything he was supposed to be wearing or carrying was in good working order,” said Elise Armacost of the Baltimore County Fire Department, “So at the end of the day, this is a mystery that we may never know the answer to.”
