Boston Fire Fighters Killed in 4 Alarm Fire

Two Boston Firefighters were killed and four others injured in a 4 alarm fire at 1727 Center Street in West Roxbury about 9:15pm Wednesday night. The fire started in the Hi Ho Thai restaurant and extended into a dog grooming parlor next door.
The fire spread rapidly and a 2nd alarm was ordered shortly after the first arriving companies. A partial roof collapse occurred causing an air conditioning unit to fall into the building. All companies were ordered out of the building by Command.

The scene grew chaotic when several Firefighters were carried from the building by their brothers.Two Firefighters were in cardiac arrest and CPR was immediately administered by a District Chief and Boston EMS Paramedics.

Command ordered a 3rd and 4th alarm as the fire intensified and more manpower was needed. Tower Ladder 17 operated a gun from their bucket
and several hand lines were in use.

Four other Firefighters were transported to area hospitals

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Comment by Joe C on September 1, 2007 at 2:00pm: Fallen Jakes

Numerous messages to God since Wednesday...
Bless our brothers, the fallen Jakes
It seems there’s never rhyme nor reason
For whom He decides to take

Again we’re forced to struggle with the fact
That He’s taken two of our bravest
If we could, we brothers, march to heaven
From Him their souls we’d outwrest

But such is the fate of the dedicated Jake
Much, much too often
Though they died doing the job they loved
This blow cannot be softened

It crushes their families, kills their dreams
Of happy times together
They must go on, remembering their souls
Will live with them forever

We fellow firefighters in the “brotherhood”
Have lost two of our own
Like countless of our brothers before them
It still cuts to the bone

And lest we forget their brothers in arms
Who fought by their side
Some of whom still lay in hospital beds
Lucky to have not died

Our hearts may go out to all of the above
For they all suffer today
They’ll pick up the pieces the best they can
Each in their own way

But our prayers are for the eternal souls
Of two true Boston heroes
Who did their jobs until the very end
Earning them their haloes

Lt. Tom Kenney - Providence Fire Department
30August2007

Comment by Joe C on September 1, 2007 at 2:00pm: I agree with Steve.

Comment by Stephen Walsh on September 1, 2007 at 8:26am: The building was not vacant as employees may ahve still been in the restaurant and were in fact still in the adjacent stores. There were also 26 pets in the dog grooming store right next to the original fire store. An aggressive interior attack was appropriate with potential loss of life factors. Had the collapse of the air conditioner not occurred and the fire detected earlier, this would have been a routine grease flu fire. The fire had been burning over an hour in the crawl space undetected. Engine 30 and Ladder 25 were on scene with in 2 minutes of the call. This was a routine fire gone very, very bad. The collapse of the air conditioner provided enough oxygen to cause as flashover which both Firefighters were caught in. I agree however,that if the block was vacant and known to not have any occupants, an exterior attck would have been employed.

Comment by Joe C on August 31, 2007 at 6:41pm: I took my girlfirend and her daughter by 30 and 25 quaters last night and explained to her daughter what happend. It is a touching memorial with flowers and cards from all over the city. I said a prayer ans shead a tear for our fallen brothers. There are two new angels amoung us.

Comment by Firefighter Nation WebChief on August 31, 2007 at 12:31pm: Updated Stories for Friday

Boston Herald:

BFD searches for 3 workers who fled scene
Boston Fire Department arson investigators are searching for the three Chinese restaurant workers who bolted from the scene of a deadly blaze in West Roxbury that killed two firefighters and have not been seen since, the Herald has learned.

He died doing a favor
It is almost a cliche to say a firefighter laid down his life to help out a brother jake - but that’s exactly what Warren Payne did when he agreed to work an extra four hours of overtime Wednesday night so a probie could report to headquarters for training.

Time won’t mend families’ broken hearts
For a little while, we will stare at the ruins of a West Roxbury restaurant and think about two firefighters who died there on a balmy August night - and of the dozen others who nearly followed them into eternity.

Updated Photo Gallery from the Boston Herald

Firefighter was living his dream
Fallen Boston firefighter Paul Cahill came from a large, classic Boston family full of civil servants - and he perished while living out his dream to help the community.

Keeping vigil, jake’s son tries ‘to be brave’
Jonathan Payne strode yesterday to the memorial set up at the West Roxbury firehouse with an oversized toy fire engine under his arm. A red ladder truck, slightly used and caked with dust in places, it resembled the kind his dad, Warren Payne, rode out of the building the night before on the deadly final call of his 25-year career.

Selfless jake ’never said no’
The 53-year-old firefighter wasn’t scheduled to work Wednesday night. But when a fellow worker at Ladder 25 in West Roxbury had to take an emergency medical service class, Payne, as usual, agreed to fill in.

Comment by steve price on August 30, 2007 at 11:55pm: THE FIREFIGHTER’S
23RD PSALM

To all of our fallen Brothers & Sisters

FIREFIGHTERS 23rd PSALM

THE LORD IS MY CHIEF
HE HAS CHOSEN ME TO SERVE
HE LEADS ME TO STILL THE FIRES
RAGING AROUND ME
HE RESTORES MY SOUL TO FIGHT
EVEN WHEN ALL SEEMS LOST
HE HAS PREPARED FOR ME A PLACE IN LIFE DEDICATED TO SERVICE, HONOR, JOY
AND FELLOWSHIP
HE ANNOINTS MY SOUL WITH COURAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMY FIRE!
YES EVEN THOUGH I WALK THROUGH LIFE
IN THE SHADOW OF DEATH I WILL FEAR NO FIRE FOR HE IS WITH ME
HIS STRENGTH WILL COMFORT ME
AND WHEN LIFE’S FINAL ALARM SOUNDS
I WILL DWELL IN THE STATION HOUSE OF
THE LORD FOREVER
AMEN!

Comment by Firefighter Nation WebChief on August 30, 2007 at 4:43pm

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