By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-19 17:47:43 | Updated at 2026-08-19 17:54:27
12 minutes ago
A fire cadet who died training in California’s Central Valley has been identified as 20-year-old who dreamed of working in the profession.
Eric Arzate is the young man who tragically died from a medical emergency at the College of the Sequoias Fire Academy campus in Hanford on Aug. 10.
Arzate succumbed to unknown ailment while at the college, and fellow cadets rendered aid until first responders took him to the hospital. He was taken to a nearby hospital and passed away the next day.
The cause of the medical emergency is under investigation.
His family eulogized him in a GoFundMe for his memorial expenses.
“Eric was a beautiful person,” they wrote.
“No matter the situation, he always found a way to put others before himself. In college, he dedicated years of his life to learning how to save the lives of others as well as volunteering for local first responder programs. One of his greatest dreams was to become a firefighter. He worked incredibly hard toward that dream and wanted nothing more than to make the people he loved proud,” his family added.
The College of the Sequoias Fire Academy graduates typically become professional firefighters.
Eric’s passing comes three years after his father, Raul, died. The pair shared a “deep love of music and were both talented musicians,” the family wrote.
“We find comfort in imagining that they are together again, rehearsing for their next concert,” they added.
More than $13,700 has been raised for the GoFundMe so far of the $30,000 goal.
