Rancho Adobe firefighter mourned after unexpected death

A Sonoma County firefighter is being mourned by family, friends and colleagues.

Rancho Adobe Fire District Capt. Kyle Heard, 43, died Friday night after suffering a medical emergency at his Santa Rosa home, said Herb Wandel, the district’s battalion chief.

The department was still being debriefed Saturday evening, said Wandel, and few additional details were immediately available.

As of Monday afternoon, fire officials are still waiting to hear from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Coroner Bureau about the details surrounding Heard’s death, Fire Chief Jeff Veliquette told The Press Democrat.

Heard joined the Penngrove-based Rancho Adobe district in 2003 as a volunteer, had been promoted to full-time engineer in 2013 and was last year promoted to full-time captain, Wandel said.

Support has flowed in for Heard’s family and his colleagues from firefighting departments around the county, Wandel said.

“The outreach and support has been far and wide, unbelievable,” Wandel said. “This was a young person with a family and two young kids, and we're working to help get through to that next step.”

A GoFundMe account was started Saturday for Heard’s family.

The accompanying text described Heard as “a dedicated firefighter, a beloved member of our community, a loving husband to Rachael, and a devoted father to his two children, Logan and Parker. Kyle’s sudden passing has left an unimaginable void in the lives of those who knew and loved him.”

It continued: “Kyle was not only a hero in his professional life but also in his role as a husband and father. Now, we want to ensure that his legacy of love and care continues.”

Santa Rosa Firefighters Local 1401 posted on Instagram: “The loss is heartbreaking and has been heavy for our fire family community within Sonoma County. Captain Heard leaves behind two sons and a wife. Please keep Heard’s family and friends in your thoughts. Rest in peace Brother, we got it from here.”

Rancho Adobe Fire District personnel declined to speak further Monday, Veliquette said.

“It’s just too soon,” he said.

Staff Writer Madison Smalstig contributed to this report.

You can reach Staff Writer Jeremy Hay at 707-387-2960 or jeremy.hay@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @jeremyhay