9 Firefighters Killed In The Line of Duty

03sxt · Post by **03sxt** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:32 am

This really sucks hearing stuff like this. It's always scary when you have your partner firefighter next to you as you're making entry into a working structure fire and you wonder if this could be the one that you might not make it out of...

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Mayor Joe Riley confirmed on CNN this morning that nine firefighters were were killed Monday night in a massive blaze at a sofa store and warehouse here.

Most were killed he said, when a large set of shelves collapsed in the rear of the one-story building. He did not think there were sprinklers in the building. He also said the firefighters were looking for employees at the time and had no warning about the inpending tragedy.

Other local news organizations were reporting the store's roof collapsed and sent debris over about two-dozen rescue workers while spectators were hit with flying ash.

Riley called the missing firefighters heroes. "This is a profession that we must never take for granted," the mayor said. "There's a fire raging and they go toward it."

There were reports of other firefighters injured as well.

Video of the scene showed a line of firefighters standing at attention, saluting as the bodies of the firefighters were carried from the building.

A crisis team from the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation was deployed, and were en route to Charleston just after midnight, said Ron Siarnicki, NFFF executive director.

"The team will be in Charleston to help the department in any way it can. We're there to support them during this time."

KrackstaR · Post by **KrackstaR** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 9:24 am

Damn thats sucks , you better be carefull pit there Mike.

03sxt · Post by **03sxt** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 9:32 am

Yeah, I've only been scared of my life once in a fire... And that was when I was in a second story of a house that was burning. It was a crazy fire and the fire's behavior was oddly unpredictable. Part of the floor decided to collapse right next to me and two other firefighters while we were performing an initial search for potential victims. Luckily we were just finishing up the search and made it out without any problems. We then found out that there was an acetylene cylinder in the basement which was helping fuel the fire which is why the fire was acting so odd.

KrackstaR · Post by **KrackstaR** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 11:45 am

WOW see thats the only thing that worries me being a fireman cause its one thing responding to a fire but having to go in a house not knowing whats inside would worry the hell out of me.

03sxt · Post by **03sxt** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 7:49 pm

KrackstaR wrote:WOW see thats the only thing that worries me being a fireman cause its one thing responding to a fire but having to go in a house not knowing whats inside would worry the hell out of me.

Yeah, the sad part is that's the fun thing about it.

Keeps the adrenaline flowing, I guess.

KrackstaR · Post by **KrackstaR** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:45 pm

at least your using your adrenaline seeking to save lives. Mad respect man!

flamingpinhead · Post by **flamingpinhead** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 10:02 pm

wow, thats maddness.

Cbussilver01es · Post by **Cbussilver01es** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 10:23 pm

Thats really sad that all that happend, I couldnt imagine that one bit,

NeonBluSXT · Post by **NeonBluSXT** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 5:14 pm

Prayers to SC...

Post by **Diablo0** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 5:32 pm

I heard about this... really sucks

Heard it was the biggest loss of fire fighters since 9/11