A D.C. firefighter candidate who fell ill after strenuous training died from a skeletal muscle injury provoked by vigorous physical activity, the medical examiner said this week. But the revelation does not clear up whether poor care might have accelerated his collapse. Eric Allen, 23, of Temple Hills, died Oct. 15 of an acute breakdown of muscle fiber following strenuous exercise, which in rare cases can lead to kidney failure and death. Allen, who was trying out for a spot as a firefighter recruit, had successfully completed a stair-climbing test at the training academy around 10 a.m. Oct. 14 when he started having trouble breathing.

“The manner [of death] is natural,” said Sharlene Williams, general counsel in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.