Forty-five years ago yesterday, reporter-cameraman Steve Pieringer of KRLD-TV died of his injuries after being severely burned in a gasoline storage tank explosion in Kennedale, Texas.

Pieringer was at the Kennedale service station filming the fire on August 1st, 1968, standing 50 yards away from the burning 6,000 gallon storage tank when it exploded, engulfing him and others in a fireball. He managed to stagger 60-70 feet down the street according to witnesses before collapsing despite being described being just “white ash from head to toe” and all his clothing burned off. Pieringer was taken to a Dallas hospital where he died a few hours later.

Pieringer is honored by both the Newseum on their memorial and by the Texas Association of Broadcasters on an award given out by them on rare occasion for Texas broadcasters who go above and beyond the call of duty in covering the news.

Other photographers who have died on the job in the United States, their names can be read on the list on the page at this link.