| Name | Michael McKean |
| Agency | Ashton Fire Protection District |
| Rank | Firefighter |
| Type of Firefighter | Volunteer |
| Age Range | 31 to 35 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 2/16/1969 |
| Date of Death | 2/17/2001 |
| Cause of Death | Caught/Trapped |
| Nature of Death | Asphyxiation |
| Attribute of Death | Smoke inhalation |
| Type of Duty | Firefighting operations , Hose operations |
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Ashton |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 2/17/2001 8:17 |
| Incident Location | Residential |
| Incident Attribute | Basement fires , Electrical fires , Fires |
On February 17, 2001, Lieutenant Clint Talley and Firefighter Michael McKean of the Ashton Fire Protection District died in the line of duty while fighting a residential basement fire.
Firefighters responded to the one-story house fire at around 8:17AM, and upon entering the structure, firefighters found thick, brown smoke along the floor. After extinguishing various pockets of flames on the first floor, firefighters realized that the fire was originating from between the basement ceiling and the first floor. Firefighting crews entered and exited the basement several times in an attempt to locate and extinguish all of the flames, but the fire spread rapidly, and McKean and Talley became lost and trapped in the basement. Firefighters, including mutual aid responders, made numerous attempts to find and rescue McKean and Talley, but both firefighters asphyxiated in the basement before they could be rescued.
A memorial service for Talley and McKean was held at Ashton High School on February 20, and funeral services for both firefighters were held at Ashton United Methodist Church on February 21.
Additional Resources:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200108.html