Excerpts from wslitv.com:

More than 70 firefighters gathered in memory of Kody Vanfossan who died early this year while fighting a fire in Christopher. 

On Sunday, firefighters gathered for the first Kody Vanfossan Memorial Water Fight.  His friends say Kody loved participating in events like this, which is why it was fitting to honor him with this friendly competition. 

The money raised will go towards a memorial fund which will offer scholarships to high school graduates looking to become first responders. The fund will also help small departments send firefighters to training and purchase small equipment. 

Kody’s father and firefighter, Brent Vanfossan, says his son loved being a fireman, a sentiment shared by his mother Mindy.  She says since he was two years-old he wanted to be a fireman. She hopes the firefighters attending Sunday’s event know they helped honor his memory.

Tags: chicagoareafire.com, Christopher Fire Chief Ron Learned, Christopher Fire Department, Christopher Fire Department LODD, Christopher Firefighter Kody Vanfossan, firefighter becomes trapped and dies at fire scene

Excerpts from wsiltv.com:

Investigators have been on the scene since the fire Sunday morning trying in Christopher to figure out what caused the blaze where 24-year-old Firefighter Kody Vanfossan died while fighting a the fire. They say the building was vacant at the time the fire started.

Christopher Fire Chief Ron Learned said more than 17 fire departments responded to the fire inside the old office furniture store on the corner of Market and Emma Street. An hour into the call, a firefighter called out Mayday after finding someone down inside the fire scene.  Shortly thereafter, firefighters found Vanfossan’s dad, a more than 10-year veteran with the Christopher Fire Department, but they were not able to recover Kody until later. Vanfossan was on the second floor of the building when the Mayday call was issued. 

While Christopher firefighters mourn the loss of their brother, area firefighters are manning the fire station. 

Vanfossan’s visitation will be held Thursday, May 9 from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Christopher High School Gym with a Firefighter Walk-through set for 7:30 p.m. A Visitation will also be on Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. with a Firefighter Walk-through at 10:45 a.m.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the high school with burial to follow at St. Andrews Catholic Cemetery in Christopher. 

Tags: chicagoareafire.com, Christopher Fire Chief Ron Learned, Christopher Fire Department, Christopher Fire Department LODD, Christopher Firefighter Kody Vanfossan, firefighter becomes trapped and dies at fire scene