Local firefighter Mauricio Fernandez, 48, died as soon as he arrived to fight a forest fire on Saturday (16) in Tangara, in the mid-west of Santa Catarina.

Local firefighter Mauricio Fernandez was 48 years old. – Photo: Personal archive/Information disclosure/ND

According to fellow firefighters, Fernandes suddenly became ill during the fire and died as a result of cardiopulmonary arrest.

The firefighter lost consciousness and was rescued by his uniformed colleagues. Samu (Mobile Emergency Service) was also called, but Fernandez did not resist. There are no details yet on whether the sudden illness was due to smoke inhalation or another unknown cause.

Farewell to a public firefighter

Fernandez was married and had two children. He lived in the city of Videira and worked as a public firefighter for about 20 years. The funeral will be held at 13:30 this Sunday (17) at the San Judas Memorial in the municipality where Fernandez lived.

Friends took to social media to mourn the firefighter’s untimely death. “My friend, brother and comrade, you left without saying goodbye. You only ate a well-cooked kebab on Friday night, and now I will no longer have the pleasure of grilling it for you. Who will march in the orchestra in the front row next to me? Thank you for 31 years of friendship. Rest in peace,” a friend wrote.