Our fallen hero

On Monday, April 9, 2012 at 03:13 AM, Engine 2 was dispatched to Jasper & York Streets for a rubbish fire. Upon arrival, they found a 4 & 5 story building approximately 500 ft x 300 ft. with heavy fire on the 1^st and 2^nd floors.

Engine 2 ordered the box struck. At 03:22 AM, Engine 2 struck the 2^nd alarm. Within 45 minutes of Engine 2's initial dispatch, 5 alarms had been struck. Car 3 (Deputy Commissioner Devlin) put the fire under control at 05:21 AM.

At 05:56 AM, the north wall of the building collapsed onto a 1 & 2 story building next to the fire building, trapping the members of Ladder 10 who were working inside.

Rescue operations started immediately. Lieutenant Robert Neary, Firefighter Daniel Sweeney, Firefighter Francis Chaney and Firefighter Patrick Nally, all of Ladder 10, were removed and taken to the Temple University Hospital.

Firefighters Chaney and Nally were admitted. Lieutenant Neary and Firefighter Sweeney died of their injuries.

During the fire, 2 tactical boxes were struck for fires started by embers and 7 other dwelling fires, of a smaller scale, were started by embers from this blaze.