Firefighter dies after shift; another suffers smoke inhalation

Members of the Boston Fire Department were rallying around the families of two firefighters yesterday after one died of an apparent heart attack and another was being treated for severe smoke inhalation after he rushed into a burning building in Hyde Park.

Firefighter David A. Middleton, 38, of Dorchester, died yesterday after suffering an apparent heart attack at home, officials said.

Middleton, a 10-year veteran and father of two children, was assigned to Engine 51 in Brighton and responded to multiple calls during his regular Sunday shift, fire officials said. He said he wasn't feeling well after returning from a second fire, but stayed on until the end of his shift at 8 a.m. Monday, said fire spokesman Steve MacDonald.

"We consider it a line-of-duty death, especially where he worked a couple of incidents during his shift and was not feeling well," MacDonald said.

Another veteran firefighter was in intensive care at Brigham and Women's Hospital last night after he ran into a burning house in Hyde Park while off duty.

Glenn Preston, who is assigned to Engine 17 in Dorchester, was off duty when a two-alarm fire broke out in a house on River Street.

"When he arrived, there were initial reports of people trapped," said fire Captain Richard Parker.

However, everyone had already made it out of the house.