Firefighter shot after fire sets off loaded gun, Wisconsin official says

A firefighter is in critical condition following a bizarre incident at a Wisconsin structure fire, officials say.

Justin Frederickson, a 16-year veteran of the Cornell Area Fire Department, responded to a structure fire in Willard Township Feb. 19 after a request for help from a nearby department, Cornell Area Fire Chief Dennis Klass said Tuesday in a news release.

While Frederickson, 35, was operating a hose line outside, a loaded gun inside the burning building went off. The bullet tore through an external wall, striking him in the stomach, Klass said.

Officials believe heat from the blaze caused the gun to discharge.

Frederickson was rushed to a nearby hospital then airlifted to Mayo Hospital in Eau Claire.

As of Tuesday, he’d undergone two surgeries with a third operation planned, Klass said.

Frederickson is listed as being in critical condition.

“Please keep Justin’s fiancée, his family, and the Cornell and Sheldon Fire Department’s in your prayers,” Klass said.

Willard Township is in northern Wisconsin, roughly 50 miles northeast of Eau Claire.

This story was originally published February 24, 2021 at 2:40 PM with the headline "Firefighter shot after fire sets off loaded gun, Wisconsin official says."