Two firefighters killed in deadly blaze in Buffalo, New York
Monday, August 24, 2009
In the United States, two firefighters were killed while battling a three-alarm fire in Buffalo, New York's East Side. The fire started around 4:00 a.m. (EDT) in a deli at 1815 Genesee St.
Rescue 1's Lt. Charles 'Chip' McCarthy and Ladder 7's Jonathan Croom had earlier gone missing after a portion of the building collapsed on top of them. They were running to the aid of someone yelling for help in the basement, when the first floor collapsed on top of them.
Their bodies were recovered from the debris just before 10:00 a.m., nearly five hours after the blaze started. Fellow firefighters covered their bodies in American flags and saluted them as they were carried out of the debris on stretchers.
The building housed a deli on the main floor, and apartments on the second. It is not known if any residents were inside when the fire started. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Sources
- "Official: 2 firefighters killed in Buffalo fire" — Associated Press, August 24, 2009
- Gene Warner, Brian Meyer and Pete Simon. "Two firefighters die as floor collapses at East Side deli fire" — The Buffalo News, August 24, 2009
- "2 Buffalo Firefighters Did Not Make it Out of a Burning Building Overnight" — WGRZ, August 24, 2009
- "NOW: Chaotic 3 Alarm Fire, Firefighters Missing" — WBEN, August 24, 2009