MSHA Final report issued for fatality on 6/14/2024

"On June 14, 2024, at 2:08 p.m., Andrew Pontious, a 52 year-old firefighter, with 19 years of firefighting experience, died while fighting a fire on a front-end loader. The front-end loader’s left rear tire exploded, and the force struck the firefighter. The accident occurred because Pontious was approximately four feet from the tire when a combustion explosion occurred. The fire on the front-end loader heated the tire and caused a buildup of flammable gases inside the tire, which were ignited..."

https://www.msha.gov/data-reports/fatality-reports/2024/june-14-2024-fatality/final-report