FIREFIGHTER BURTON T. SEYMOUR, A CAREER MEMBER OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OF THE VILLAGE OF ILION NY WAS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY ON APRIL 21ST 1963 WHILE OPERATING AT IFD ALARM NO.43 BOX 1-5 THE ILION HIGH SCHOOL. FIREFIGHTER SEYMOUR DIED OF INJURIES SUSTAINED WHEN HE AND ANOTHER FIREFIGHTER FELL OVER 30FT DOWN AN AIRSHAFT WHILE OPERATING A HOSELINE ON A SECOND STORY ROOF. INVESTIGATION OF THE FIRE SHOWED SIGNS OF ARSON HOWEVER NO ARRESTS HAVE EVER BEEN MADE TO THIS DAY. FIREFIGHTER SEYMOUR WAS SURVIVED BY A WIFE AND SIX CHILDREN. HIS NAME IS PROUDLY DISPLAYED ON THE NEW YORK STATE FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS MEMORIAL IN ALBANY NY. THE AUDITORIUM OF THE REBUILT ILION HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL AS ILION FIRE DEPARTMENT’S ENGINE NO. 2 HAVE BEEN DEDICATED TO HIS MEMORY.
My dad was a great father and husband. To lose him at such an early age was devastating. There’s hardly a day go by I don’t think of him. Love you dad.
– Kathleen Seymour Fuhrer