Bridgeport, CT Lt. Velesquez and FireFighter Baik
July 24, 2010 - What several firefighters described as an ordinary house fire at 41 Elmwood Ave. Saturday afternoon left two firefighters dead.
Lt. Steven Velazquez and Firefighter Michel Baik were found unconscious on the top floor of the house, after they sent out May Day calls. They were found by the department's rapid intervention team, and were given CPR at the scene. However, Mayor Bill Finch said, they were unable to revive the men and they were pronounced dead at the hospital.
At a press conference Saturday night, a somber and distraught Finch talked about the two, both family men with young children. Velazquez was Finch's neighbor, and the mayor recalled pinning his badge on him when he was promoted to lieutenant in February. Baik, he said, was a rookie with two years on the job.
Fire officials were too upset to attend the press conference, Finch said, adding Chief Brian Rooney, who was out of state when the fire hit, sped back to Bridgeport to be with his men. "They're just too emotional to talk about it," Finch said.
The last time the department lost a member was in 1999, when Walter Flyntz died in a fire on Fairfield Avenue.
The initial report of the fire at the multi-family wood structure was called in to officials at 3:53 p.m.
Deputy Fire Chief Robert Petrucelli said he arrived on the scene 15 minutes into the fire and found heavy smoke coming from the second and third floors.
"Firefighters were making progress on the fire," Finch said, "knocking down the flames."
He said Velazquez and Baik were the furthest inside the house, doing search and rescue and ventilating the house.
There's no immediate word on what caused the fire and Finch said the State Fire Marshal's office will be investigating not only the cause of the blaze, but are also looking at the equipment used by the deceased firefighters.
From http://www.FirefighterCloseCalls.com
Read MoreLt. Steven Velazquez and Firefighter Michel Baik were found unconscious on the top floor of the house, after they sent out May Day calls. They were found by the department's rapid intervention team, and were given CPR at the scene. However, Mayor Bill Finch said, they were unable to revive the men and they were pronounced dead at the hospital.
At a press conference Saturday night, a somber and distraught Finch talked about the two, both family men with young children. Velazquez was Finch's neighbor, and the mayor recalled pinning his badge on him when he was promoted to lieutenant in February. Baik, he said, was a rookie with two years on the job.
Fire officials were too upset to attend the press conference, Finch said, adding Chief Brian Rooney, who was out of state when the fire hit, sped back to Bridgeport to be with his men. "They're just too emotional to talk about it," Finch said.
The last time the department lost a member was in 1999, when Walter Flyntz died in a fire on Fairfield Avenue.
The initial report of the fire at the multi-family wood structure was called in to officials at 3:53 p.m.
Deputy Fire Chief Robert Petrucelli said he arrived on the scene 15 minutes into the fire and found heavy smoke coming from the second and third floors.
"Firefighters were making progress on the fire," Finch said, "knocking down the flames."
He said Velazquez and Baik were the furthest inside the house, doing search and rescue and ventilating the house.
There's no immediate word on what caused the fire and Finch said the State Fire Marshal's office will be investigating not only the cause of the blaze, but are also looking at the equipment used by the deceased firefighters.
From http://www.FirefighterCloseCalls.com
