The North Carolina Industrial Commission says a firefighter's death from cancer was a "line of duty death."

The ruling on Asheville Fire Department Engineer Will Willis is only the second such in state history for a firefighter's cancer death. Willis died Feb. 27, on his 34th birthday, from a rare form of kidney cancer.

Chief State Fire Marshal Brian Taylor says the ruling sets a precedent, and helps Willis' family. The family will receive disability benefits and his children will get a free college education at a state public university. Willis' name will be added to a state memorial in Raleigh.

According to the Asheville Citizen-Times, a 2013 Centers for Disease Control study said firefighters were more likely than the general U.S. population to die of cancer.

Recent research studies show that synthetic materials used in buildings today produce carcinogens when they burn. A rise in the percentage of firefighters diagnosed with cancer has led to sweeping changes in firehouse procedures.