FAIRBURY - Outside the Fairbury fire station, black and purple bunting framed the open doors and quietly shifted slightly in the breeze around noon Wednesday. Inside the station, more than a dozen Fairbury firefighters had gathered to comfort each other and to remember their fallen colleague and friend. | Photo gallery

Brian J. Munz, 24, was killed Tuesday night while battling a house fire in Forrest. The Fairbury department was one of seven in the area that responded to help Forrest firefighters with the blaze.

"He was always there for you," said fellow firefighter Larry Ray.

Forrest Fire Chief Sam Schmidgall said the cause of the fire on the 300 block of West Watson Street that started around 7:45 p.m. Tuesday had not been determined Wednesday and the investigation is continuing.

Brian J. Munz

Schmidgall said Munz was severely injured during the initial efforts to knock down the fire, but what happened to Munz in the house remains unclear and the investigation is continuing. Munz was taken to OSF Saint James-John W. Albrecht Medical Center in Pontiac, where he died at 9:12 p.m. Tuesday, Livingston County Coroner Mike Burke said.

Fairbury firefighter Robert Hammer, remembered Munz as a hard worker.

"If it quit snowing at 5 a.m., Brian would be at the house at 5:30 a.m. scooping out the driveway," Hammer said.

"Sunrise to sunset, that was Munzy," Ray added. "He was always willing to help people out and do the job right."

Munz had been a member of the Fairbury Fire Department for six years.

Only a few blocks down the street from the fire station, the flag outside Fairbury City Hall flew at half-staff. It was a reminder that the town of about 4,000 in southeastern Livingston County suffered a big loss.

Ray Popejoy said Munz was a popular guy in town.

"I think he was one of the most visible people in town because he worked for many people," Popejoy said. "And everybody liked him."

Munz worked part-time for Popejoy, co-owner of Popejoy Plumbing, Heating and Electric in Fairbury. In the summer he also worked at his own business, Big B's Lawn Care.

Andy Rayburn and Damon Lanz worked with Munz at Popejoy's business and remembered him as "a fantastic guy."

"He was always eager and always with a smile on his face," Lanz added.

Rayburn remembered how Munz would make the workload ahead of him into a challenge.

"He maybe would have 20 yards to mow and he would make it almost like a game to see if he could get to 21 or more done," Rayburn added.

Investigators from the fire marshal's office spent most of Wednesday morning at the two-story house in Forrest interviewing firefighters and rescue personnel who responded to the fire.

Todd Somers and Judy Somers, who have three children, have lived in the house for 13 years. The fire was devastating, he said.

"We are so thankful we were able to get our children out of the house," Todd Somers said. "Our thoughts and prayers now are with the family of the firefighter."

The home, in a quiet, older neighborhood with a lot of older trees, is less than three blocks from Prairie Central Upper Elementary School.

"The community support and the support from friends and family has been overwhelming," Todd Somers said, adding the family has insurance and is staying with family.