Ringering
EDWARDSVILLE The fire departments that responded to a Bethalto fire where Capt. Jake Ringering died when a wall collapsed are suing the homeowner for failing to maintain the property or warn the firefighters of the home s unsafe condition.
Village of Fosterburg, Godfrey Fire Protection District, Village of Bethalto, as statutory subrogees of Ringering, Brian Buhs, Alexander Ocepek, Luke Warner, Christopher Stratton and John Holtorf, filed a complaint March 5 in the Madison County Circuit Court against Roland Bland Living Trust and Roland Bland, alleging negligence and wrongful death.
According to the complaint, Bland owned and maintained a property located at 4064 Culp Lane in Bethalto. The plaintiffs allege that on March 5, 2019, Ringering, Buhs, Ocepek, Warner, Stratton and Holtorf responded to a fire at the defendant s home while in the course of their employment with the Godfrey Fire Protection District, Village of Bethalto and Vi