Colorado firefighter credited with rescuing another firefighter dies of work-related cancer, fire officials say

An Arvada firefighter and EMT has died as a result of cancer related to his work, according to fire department officials. His passing is being considered a line-of-duty death, as the department says the cancer was connected to burn injuries he sustained after rescuing a fellow firefighter.

Kevin "KJ" Jacovetta died on Friday, the Arvada Fire Protection District said in a statement on Monday. He joined the department as a volunteer in 1988 and became a full-time firefighter in 1999.

In 2011, Jacovetta was severely burned while rescuing another firefighter from a house fire, for which he earned the Medal of Valor. After recovering from his injuries, he returned to duty, but complications from those injuries led to his retirement in 2021 and his cancer diagnosis in 2023.

Jacovetta and another firefighter, Chris Paine, sustained second- and third-degree burns in that fire.

"It was like sitting right in the middle of a blast oven. I had never seen that much fire coming at me at one time. It was totally unreal," Jacovetta said at the time. "It looked like a movie, it looked Hollywood."

Details about a service for Jacovetta are forthcoming, but flags at Arvada fire stations will be flown at half-staff, and firefighters and other department employees will shroud their badges for 30 days.

"To many, many people in our department, Kevin was a mentor, friend, and true hero," Arvada Fire Chief Kirk Lock said. "He was not only a skilled and selfless firefighter, but also a devoted husband, father, and friend. Sadly, his passing serves as a tragic reminder of the link between firefighting and cancer, and the dangerous working conditions firefighters selflessly enter to help others."

Before Jacovetta's passing, Colorado saw 52 line-of-duty deaths among firefighters since 1994, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.