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Firefighters Killed Father's Day resounded with grief for the families and colleagues of three firefighters killed when a massive explosion suddenly ripped through a Queens hardware store, burying them under an avalanche of rubble.
"I'm trapped in the basement by the stairs," Firefighter Brian Fahey, a 46-year-old father of three, cried in a desperate last radio call for help. "Come get me." Although Fahey died before rescuers could reach him, at least one other firefighter was pulled from the rubble of the partially collapsed, two-story Astoria building, barely breathing. Surgeons were fighting to save his life last night, officials said. "I can't think of a more tragic Father's Day," a grim-faced Mayor Giuliani said in mourning the three fallen Bravest, who left eight children between them. Rescue Co. 4 Firefighter Harry Ford, 50, a father of three, and Ladder Co. 163 Firefighter John Downing, 40, a father of two, were pronounced dead at Elmhurst Hospital Center. Ford and Downing were outside the building breaking windows for ventilation when a wall collapsed on them, said Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen, his hands blood-red from clawing through brick and metal to get to his buried men. Fahey, also of Rescue Co. 4, was found dead in the rubble nearly four hours after the 2:48 p.m. blast at the Long Island General Supply Co., 12-22 Astoria Blvd. Officials said he plunged through the first floor into the basement when the explosion ignited. As his body was carried from the smoky scene, his burly, battle-scarred comrades — who all heard his chilling plea for help over the radio — removed their helmets and bowed their heads. Some mouthed prayers as others wiped their red-rimmed eyes.
The cause of yesterday's blast was under investigation. Spencer Gordon, whose family owns the hardware store, said the business was filled with paints, paint thinner and propane tanks. "It's a hardware store," he said. "The whole place is full of chemicals." Firefighter Joseph Vosilla, 41, of Ladder Co. 116, was in critical condition at Elmhurst Hospital Center, where he was undergoing surgery last night. Von Essen said Vosilla was buried in the same wall collapse that killed Ford and Downing. Six other firefighters were in serious condition — including Lt. Brendan Manning, 47, of Batallion 49, who was taken to Weill Cornell Medical Center, which has a top-flight burn unit. About 50 firefighters, five police officers, several EMS workers and two civilians were treated for minor injuries, ranging from cuts to smoke inhalation. The devastation marked the deadliest day for the FDNY since three firefighters were killed in a pre-Christmas 1998 high-rise blaze in Canarsie, Brooklyn.
The men who died yesterday were the second, third and fourth firefighters killed in the line of duty this year. The tragedy unfolded shortly before 2:30 p.m., when the first units arrived to fight what appeared to be a minor basement fire. Firefighters evacuated the top-floor apartments, then cut the lock off the metal gate of the hardware store, which was closed for Father's Day. After breaking the store's windows, they traced the fire to the basement. Then they heard a few pops, followed by a deafening explosion. "You felt the whole building shake," said Firefighter Patrick Baker, 37, who was on the second floor of the building at the time of the blast. "The floor rose 4 feet into the air. We just ran out of the building," said Baker, his soot-covered face a picture of anguish.
The tremendous boom knocked firefighters standing outside off their feet, and a couple were thrown into the street. Many had blood streaming from their arms, legs and heads, and many were gasping for air and trying to regain their bearings. Windows of cars parked on the street were shattered and buildings nearby rattled as frightened neighbors poured into the street. As the routine fire suddenly turned into a five-alarm blaze, more than 350 firefighters rushed to the scene, where they launched an all-out rescue operation to save the trapped Fahey. "We had radio contact with him, but then that contact ended," an emotional Von Essen said. "He told his boss where he was and they started trying to get him out. They hoped to get to him while he was still alive, but they weren't able to." Robin Gordon, 41, co-owner of the hardware store he inherited from his father, Alec Gordon, who died two weeks ago, said a fire chief called him in the early afternoon to say a small fire was under control. He wasn't prepared for the scene of devastation he encountered upon his arrival. "Oh, my God! I can't believe this," Gordon said, adding that he was more concerned for the firefighters than his business. Gordon said he regretted closing the store for Father's Day. "If we were in the building, this never would have happened," he said, shaking his head. "It would have never happened." Courtesy of NY Daily News
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