The death of a Butler County firefighter serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers firefighters face long after the flames are extinguished and the smoke clears. "It was a badge of honor back in the day to be a smoke-eater and to have the dirtiest fire gear," Cincinnati firefighter Gerald Rosemeyer said. "Little did we know it would come back to bite us. Now we know better." Firefighters from multiple departments in Butler County and the Cincinnati region were among the hundreds Tuesday who paid their final respects to West Chester firefighter Tim Burns. Burns, 48, died last week after a battle with occupational renal (kidney) cancer.