TILFORD, S.D. (AP) - The South Dakota National Guard says a firefighter killed while battling a house fire in Tilford was a longtime Guard soldier.
Forty-three-year-old Staff Sgt. David Fischer of Sturgis was killed Friday when he was hit by a piece of propane tank that exploded. The homeowner, 82-year-old Raymond Bachmeier of Tilford, also died.
Fischer served as an assistant fire chief of the Sturgis Volunteer Fire Department and was a 22-year veteran of the department.
He was a survey team member with the Rapid City-based 82nd Civil Support team with the South Dakota National Guard.
Maj. Gen. Tim Reisch, adjutant general of the South Dakota National Guard, says Fischer “died in the line of duty protecting his community.”
Funeral services are pending. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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