Ontario sees 1st firefighter death since 2011 after Kingston-area blaze

A firefighter with the Loyalist Township Emergency Services who suffered fatal injuries battling a fire in Amherstview, Ont., on Saturday has been identified.

Loyalist Fire Chief FredStephensonidentified the man as45-year-old PatrickPidgeon, a husband, father and Canadian Forces veteran who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan.

A statement from the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs Sunday said its thoughts and deepest sympathies were with Pidgeon's family and friends. It is the first workplacedeath of an Ontario firefighter since 2011.

"They're a very tight-knit group,"general manager and fire chief for the Town of GreaterNapaneeemergency services told CBC News.Grief counseling has been made available to firefighters andwhich will continue to be offered as long as needed, he said.

'The blackest smoke I've ever seen'

Firefighters were called to an apartment complex in the community just west of Kingston late Saturday afternoon.

"It was the blackest smoke I've ever seen," Steve Davis told CBC News. "It's a tough job, running into something that mostpeople want to run away from."

A statement from Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) inNapaneesaidthe fire was contained to a single apartment unit and that the firefighter was badly hurt at the scene before succumbing to his injuries in hospital. Noone else was injured, according to the release.

There's no word yet on the cause of the fire, however, the Office of theOntario Fire Marshal is leading the investigationwith help from the OPP and the Ontario Coroner's Office.

"I'm sure that the department is suffering right now," Chief Paul Boissonneaultof theCanadian Association of Fire Chiefs told CBC News.

Boissonneault saysthe association is currently working on a national strategy for mentaland occupational health support to address firefighters' work-related stress and trauma.

"We've got to make sure we're protecting the people who protect us," he says.

Amherstview is located approximately 250 kilometres east of Toronto and about 16 kilometres west of Kingston.