Minnesota recognizes fallen firefighter as a ‘line-of-duty’ cancer death

For the first time, the state of Minnesota has recognized the death of a firefighter as an "in-the-line-of-duty death" 16 months after his passing from Acute Myeloid Leukemia — a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer often found in firefighters who’ve had prolonged "fire hours" on the job.

Mike Paidar died at the age of 53, in August 2020, just six months after he was diagnosed with AML. He spent nine years as a volunteer firefighter in Maple Grove and then 15 years as a full-time firefighter with the St. Paul Fire Department.

On Oct. 27, Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington sent a letter to Paidar’s wife, Julie, telling her he had decided Mike’s death — based on medical research and science — was caused by the carcinogens he was routinely exposed to while responding to more than 1,300 fires and more than 1,600 fire runs.

Paidar’s widow told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that the DPS decision was "bittersweet" because he did not bring back her husband, but she was happy this decision might help other families who’ve lost loved ones for similar reasons while working in the fire service profession.

"It was kind of difficult to get the letter, but at the same time I knew Mike’s death could lead to something good for others," said Julie Paidar. "In the fire service, they always say you are never forgotten and Mike should never be forgotten and now with this, I am hoping and I am sure it will happen that this will lead to some good for someone else."

Right now, under Minnesota state law, the burden of proof is on the firefighter to prove that the cancer they contracted was connected to the hazards of the toxic chemicals they’re exposed to while fighting fires.

Harrington’s determination is unprecedented, even though dozens of firefighters and their families have tried to receive in-the-line-of-duty death benefits following a cancer diagnosis.

Steve Shapira, executive director of the Minnesota Chapter of the Firefighter Cancer Survivor Network, told KSTP that Harrington’s decision is "groundbreaking" because it is the first time the state has recognized that cancer-causing toxins in fires can lead to the untimely deaths of firefighters.

"We are kind of like toxic sponges and we go into these fire situations and our pores open up and we have all these fumes and everything else that’s giving off toxic gases," said Shapira. "We have never had a successful in-the-line-of-duty death claim like this and that’s what makes Mike’s case such a groundbreaking, landmark case."