Two firefighters killed in deadly blaze in Buffalo, New York

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.