PAW PAW, Michigan — A firefighter will be laid to rest after he was killed in the line of duty on Wednesday.
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.
The incident happened around 5:42 p.m. in the 42000 block of 30th Street in Almena Township. He died after coming into contact with a downed power line during the ice storm that waved through West Michigan.
"This scar isn't ever going to go away," said Paw Paw Fire Chief Jim DeGroff earlier this week, with tears in his eyes.
The Paw Paw Fire Department Chiefs released a statement concerning the funeral details for Quillen.
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 are being flown at half-staff and there is now a memorial out in front of the Paw Paw Fire Department. It includes flowers, a hat, and a pack of cigarettes for the firefighter who will clearly be missed by his fellow first responders.
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.
Chief DeGroff said the incident wasn't anyone's fault. He said the original downed powerline had been taken care of when a tree brought a higher voltage line down, and there was nothing that could be done.
"We're ready to come back for the citizens of Paw Paw," DeGroff said, "and they can be reserved that they're still protected, just now with a heavy heart."
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