A Clarion County firefighter died early yesterday after he collapsed while battling a small fire in Strattanville, state police said.

The fire was reported around 4 a.m. outside a residence in the 100 block of Washington Street in Strattanville, emergency dispatchers said.

A pile of rubbish had been burning.

Fire Chief Bill Stroup said the 28-year-old volunteer firefighter was among a small crew that was dispatched at 3:57 a.m. to extinguish the fire.

At the scene, firefighters needed only one hose to put out the flames in about eight minutes, Chief Stroup said.

The deceased firefighter, who had been with the department for only eight months, told his colleagues he was not feeling well. Then, the chief said, he collapsed.

It is the first fatality in the small fire department's 71-year history, Chief Stroup said.

An autopsy has been ordered to determine the cause of death.