Longtime Rochester fire captain dies after battle with cancer

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The Rochester Fire Department (RFD) announced Friday the death of retired Captain Chuck Solseth.

RFD released the following statement on its Facebook page:

The Rochester Fire Department regrets to announce the passing of retired fire captain Chuck Solseth. Chuck joined the department on March 3, 1997 and retired on September 29, 2021 after being diagnosed with cancer. Our thoughts and prayers are with Chuck’s family and friends during this time of grief. Chuck has touched countless lives during his 24 years of service to the citizens of Rochester. He has served in a variety of roles during his tenure with the city, including Operations Captain, Training Captain, Hazardous Materials Specialist, and roles within several functional groups within the department. Outside of RFD, Chuck taught at Riverland Community College in the fire program, where he trained hundreds of firefighters at various stages of their careers. He has been involved in countless house fires for training, taught hundreds of classroom courses on all aspects of fire service, and led hands-on training exercises. Chuck was well known in the Southeast Minnesota Fire Department and left his mark on so many others. Prior to RFD, he spent time with the Cedar Rapids Fire Department in Iowa and also served in the United States Navy. Chuck’s life and recent battle with cancer have been an inspiration to many, and his story has garnered media and public attention over the past year. During his career as a firefighter, Chuck has experienced the loss of several fire service colleagues. This led Chuck to share in the RFD history book: “With their passing, I learned to let my friends know how much they mean to me and to make sure those I love know it. Don’t hold anything back.”

More information on Captain Solseth’s life and funeral can be found here.

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