Dec. 30, 2022 North Haven firefighter Matthias Wirtz’s death was from a number of factors, including heart disease, according to the Medical Examiner’s office.
By Mike Mavredakis Source Hartford Courant Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The death of a North Haven firefighter who died after responding to a fire at a multi-family home on Monday was considered natural, caused by a number of factors, including heart disease, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Wednesday.
Matthias Wirtz, 46, issued a mayday while he was outside the home operating a fire engine at a two-alarm fire on Quinnipiac Avenue in North Haven early Monday morning. He received medical attention at the scene and was transported to Yale New Haven Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The fire displaced 13 residents of the multi-family home. The families were assisted by the American Red Cross.
There was heavy fire coming from the back of the home and firefighters were engaged with the fire on all three floors and attic space, the department said. There is smoke and water damage to the property, the department said.
Wirtz was a 22-year veteran of the department and responded to the 9/11 attacks in New York City earlier in his career, according to the department.
North Haven First Selectman Michael Freda said Tuesday that Wirtz had the respect of all of his fellow firefighters, adding that he was a quiet but friendly man who was a “tremendously strong and powerful individual physically.”
There was a procession held to escort Wirtz from New Haven to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Farmington on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the state continued to honor the longtime firefighter with a procession to the North Haven Funeral Home at 36 Washington Ave.
Visiting hours for Wirtz will take place at the funeral home on Monday from 3 to 7 p.m., according to his obituary. A Mass of Christian burial will be on Tuesday at St. Barnabas Church at 44 Washington Ave. in North Haven at 11 a.m. Entombment with full departmental honors will follow in the All Saints Mausoleum
North Haven officials said they will shut down Clintonville Road and Washington Avenue on Tuesday in anticipation of a large funeral crowd.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Connecticut State Police Fire Investigation Unit.