Families of firefighters killed battling Wilmington blaze file lawsuit

The families of three Wilmington firefighters killed while battling a fire two years ago are suing the city.

The federal lawsuit filed Thursday claims a city policy is to blame.

At issue is the use of a rolling bypass, which takes a fire engine out of service during shifts to save on overtime costs.

The engines are what carry hoses and extra water.

The firefighters died in September 2016 after responding to a fire in Canby Park.

In a statement, Mayor Mike Purzycki says the city is already financially supporting the victims' families.

Purzycki said the lawsuit is an attempt to get even more money from the city and that Wilmington will aggressively fight it in court.

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