Connecticut firefighter killed in wildfire accident, remembered as friend, family man

HARTFORD, Conn.– A Connecticut firefighter who died in a car crash while battling a wildfire was remembered Monday as a beloved family man and friend who made the lives of others better.

The funeral for Robert Sharkevich Sr., 66, was held at Saint Joseph’s Cathedral in Hartford on what happened to be National First Responders Day. Hundreds of firefighters from across the region gathered to pay their respects to the man known as “Sharky,” a longtime member of the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department and former 25-year veteran of the Hartford Fire Department.

Sharkevich’s casket was placed on the back of a fire truck and escorted from Wethersfield to Hartford by several dozen police motorcycles and other first responders. A group of bagpipers and drummers joined the procession through the streets of Hartford.

On October 22, Sharkevich was helping to battle the large forest fire still burning on Lamentation Mountain along the Berlin-Meriden line, about 16 miles south of Hartford, when a utility vehicle traveling on steep terrain rolled over. him, officials said.

Speaking at the funeral, his cousin, Gary Sharkevich Jr., said that he and Robert Sharkevich’s son, Robert Sharkevich Jr., who are also firefighters, rushed to the scene when they radioed about the accident heard.

“When we finally arrived, we ran to see Uncle Rob, only to find him so peaceful and comfortable,” he said. “As the daylight faded and the mountain was ablaze, we carried it home.”

He later added, “Uncle Rob, you meant the world to us. We will carry on your legacy, your laughter and your spirit with us forever. You touched so many lives.”

Karen Letizio, Robert Sharkevich Sr.’s sister, said he was the embodiment of “strength in selflessness.”

“His legacy is one of courage, as he sacrificed his own life in the service of duty, and embodies the noblest qualities a human being can possess,” she said. “It was this immense courage that made him the hero of our family, a symbolic heart of gold who cared deeply for our Wethersfield community.”

The Lamentation Mountain fire is one of dozens of fires across the Northeast in what meteorologists call dangerously dry conditions due to a lack of rain. Fire officials said a camp fire that was not properly extinguished apparently caused the Connecticut fire, which has burned about 300 acres.

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont on Monday urged residents not to light campfires or bonfires, to refrain from throwing away barbecue embers and to completely extinguish cigarettes when discarding them until the fire danger subsides.