Asheville Firefighter’s Cancer Death Ruled Line of Duty

Asheville Firefighter’s Cancer Death Ruled Line of Duty by NC Commission

ASHEVILLE — The North Carolina Industrial Commission has ruled Training Officer Jeff Lyon’s November 2022 death from cancer a line of duty death, as announced by Asheville Fire Department.

After serving with the fire department for 26 years, Lyons was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer in 2022. The former AFD captain “ended his courageous battle with cancer” on Nov. 16, 2022, in hospice at the Veteran Affairs Medical Center.

Lyons was 61 years old and had been married for 37 years and had two children and three grandchildren. AFD Chief Michael Cayse said, “His unwavering commitment is a testament to the bravery and sacrifice of all who serve in our ranks.”

Life and Service of Jeff Lyon

Lyons graduated from Watauga High School and from Haywood Technical College with a degree in forestry and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College with a degree in fire protection technology. He served in both the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. Lyons, who lived in Barnardsville, joined the department in September 1996.

According to his obituary, Lyons “loved physical training; you could always find him in the firehouse running or lifting weights. At home, Jeff always had various projects on his mountain property.” “Jeff loved being a firefighter, a soldier, and an airman, but what he loved most was being a grandfather,” his obituary read.

Honoring Jeff Lyon

AFD is requesting that the N.C. Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation honor Jeff at the State Memorial in Raleigh and the National Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The release said there is a growing crisis from the increase in cancer among firefighters.

Impact of Cancer on Firefighters

In 2022, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified the occupational exposure Lyons and other firefighters face on the job as “carcinogenic to humans.” This classification is crucial for receiving funding to support firefighters with cancer claims related to their diagnosis.

Seven active or retired Asheville Fire Department firefighters were diagnosed with cancer from 2018 to 2022, with four of them succumbing to the illness. The designation of firefighters’ deaths as line of duty if due to occupationally related cancers has provided support to families like that of Jim Knoupf, a retired Asheville Fire Department engineer who died of cancer in August 2021.