Kennewick firefighter remembered at national event

KENNEWICK -- A Kennewick firefighter who died while on duty three years ago will be honored todayat a ceremony in Maryland.

Eric Lyons is among 105 firefighters killed in the line of duty who will be remembered at the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service.

Lyons, a 13-year veteran with the Kennewick Fire Department, died July 5, 2007, after suffering a heart attack. He was 37.

"It's a time of real mixed emotions when you go through the ceremony," said Kennewick Fire Marshal Mark Yaden. "We're honored and I know the family's really honored to have his name there and be honored. ... But it makes you relive it."

Lyons had been working the busy Fourth of July shift and collapsed at the department's Auburn Street station after a call.

Crews had returned around 11 p.m. after putting out a small brush fire sparked by fireworks.

Co-workers found Lyons in the station's bunkroom area around midnight and immediately rushed to help him.

He was taken to Kennewick General Hospital and pronounced dead at 1:12 a.m.

Today's memorial service, held at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Md., marks the beginning of National Fire Prevention Week.

The names of 80 firefighters who died in 2009 were added to the National Firefighter Memorial this year, along with 25 firefighters who died in previous years.

Many of the previous years' deaths were military firefighters who are not being included at the National Memorial, officials said.

Yaden said it can sometimes take a year or two for a firefighter's death to officially be ruled a line of duty death.

No members of the Kennewick Fire Department were able to attend the memorial service and Yaden said he didn't know if any members of Lyons' family were attending.

"We feel really bad about not being there," Yaden said. "He's certainly in our hearts and spirit back here and the fire department certainly will be thinking about him all weekend."

This story was originally published October 3, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Kennewick firefighter remembered at national event ."