Mar 4, 2019 2 min read

A firefighter with the Canonsburg Volunteer Fire Department was taken to Washington Hospital Friday night after suffering an apparent heart attack while fighting a blaze at Canon-McMillan Stadium.

Bill Fenimore, the 53-year-old president of the fire department, experienced discomfort while fighting the fire in the women’s bathroom at the stadium, according to Tim Solobay, Canonsburg’s fire chief. He was taken to the hospital, where a cardiac catheterization was performed and a stent placed in an artery. Fenimore’s heart muscle was not damaged, Solobay said, and he is expected to return to his firefighting duties in four to six weeks.

“You never know when these kinds of things are going to hit,” Solobay said. “He’s a lucky guy.”

Firefighters were called to the stadium about 10 p.m. for a fire in the restroom. A heating unit is believed to have been at fault. The fire is still being investigated, and the dollar amount of the damage has not yet been determined.

The stadium hosts high school football games and track and field events, among other sports, and is open throughout the year to residents who want to walk or run around the track.

The school district posted on its Facebook page Sunday that it looks forward to “restoring the area following all necessary protocols, including safety inspections.”

Canonsburg’s fire department was assisted at the scene by fire departments from North Strabane Township, Houston, Muse, the Peters Township’s rapid intervention team and Canonsburg’s Emergency Medical Services.