Firefighter dies after wall collapses during blaze in upstate New York

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (AP) — A firefighter battling a blaze in the upstate New York city of Binghamton died after a wall collapsed, officials said Thursday.

Firefighter John R. Gaudet, 40, was pronounced dead at a local hospital late Wednesday night after crews responded to a major downtown fire that broke at about 9:30 p.m. Two other firefighters were injured and were later released from the hospital, Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham said on X.

Gaudet was an 11-year veteran of the Binghamton Fire Department.

“JR embodied what it means to be a firefighter — fearless, dedicated, and always putting others before himself,” the department posted on Facebook. “At fires, he was a bull — always first in line to get inside. He would literally run through a wall for you. There was no one better to have by your side.”

The cause of the fire was being investigated.