Wisconsin Firefighter Critically Hurt After Gun Discharges In Burning Building

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A firefighter in western Wisconsin is fighting for his life after a gun discharged in a burning building, striking him in the abdomen.

The Cornell Area Fire Department says 35-year-old Justin Fredrickson was struck by the bullet last Friday while battling a structure fire in the Township of Willard, about 45 miles east of Barron, Wisconsin.

Fire officials say a loaded firearm inside the building discharged due to heat, not someone pulling the trigger. Fredrickson, a 16-year veteran firefighter, was operating a hose line outside the building when the bullet broke through a wall and struck him.

Emergency crews brought Fredrickson to a local hospital before he was airlifted to the Mayo Clinic hospital in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

As of Tuesday, Fredrickson had undergone two surgeries and was listed in critical condition. A third surgery was scheduled to happen soon, the fire department says.