PAW PAW, Mich. — The Paw Paw Fire Department Chiefs have released a statement concerning the funeral details for the firefighter that died in the line of duty.
Ethan Quillen, 28, had volunteered at the department since 2019 and worked his way up to a Lieutenant role. He was also a marine, husband and father.
He died after coming into contact with a downed power line during the ice storm that waved through West Michigan from Feb. 22 to Feb. 23. The storm still has a mixture of sleet and snow covering the grounds days later.
In their joint statement made on the department's Facebook page, they say:
"We will bring Ethan home to Paw Paw tomorrow from WMED (Kalamazoo). Paw Paw trucks will lead him home. If anyone would like to line Red Arrow Highway from the county line (Van Buren) to Adam's Funeral Home (Paw Paw), we will leave WMED around 1 PM. Funeral arrangements will be announced tomorrow afternoon. Thank you to everyone that has reached out to us and helped us grieve.
- Paw Paw 101, 102, and 103."
Flags were drawn at half staff after the incident, and there's also a memorial of Quillen in front of the building.
A GoFundMe has been created by the department to help his wife and daughter, and so far it has reach over $94,000 of its $25,000 goal.
Michigan State Police ruled the death an accident, and said the power line belonged to Consumers Energy.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
