Former Oneonta
Firefighter Killed In
Early-Morning Blaze
ONEONTA – A former part-time city firefighter was killed in a fire in his Walling Avenue home early this morning, Mayor Gary Herzig reported.
Herzig confirmed that John Heller, who had served with the Oneonta Fire Department in an on-call capacity, perished in the blaze, which started around 4 a.m. at his home at 5 Walling Ave.
According to Herzig, there were children in the home, but they all made it to safety.
“It’s a very sad situation,” said Herzig. “When something like this happens, it hits hard.”
The cause of the fire is not yet known, and an investigation is ongoing.
