Sad news indeed......

BOSTON -- An investigation is underway into what caused a restaurant fire that claimed the lives of two Boston firefighters last night in West Roxbury.

Fire Department spokesman Scott Salman says two other firefighters first listed in critical condition have been upgraded and are now under observation with non-life-threatening injuries.

Eight other firefighters with less serious injuries have been released from area hospitals.

The initial investigation indicates a 3 ton air conditioning crashed through the ceiling and sent air rushing in, creating a ball of fire and trapping the firefighters.

The men who died are identified as 55-year-old Paul Cahill of Scituate and 53-year-old Warren Payne of Canton.

Both served on Engine 30, Ladder 25, the first company to respond.

The four-alarm fire started around 9 p.m. at the Tai-Ho Mandarin and Cantonese restaurant.

A manager at a nearby White Hen Pantry saw the explosion.

"I ordered the food, I come back, I go pick up my food and then when I come I see all Chinese running from the restaurant," one witness said. "They said 'call 911!' That is when I called 911."

Having read the "close Calls" account, it sounds like another case of "Risk a lot to save a little". Apparently, the building had been evacuated and there was heavy smoke throughout the building. I am in my 40th year in the fire service, and believe we need to rethink our tactics in a lot of these fires. Saving a building, where lives are not at stake,is not worth even one more firefighter's life!

Location: GA

Amen to that.

I was at Firehouse and John Norman was lecturing on fires in strip malls and taxpayers. Now technically these weren't vacant buildings, but if they were evacuated and everyone was accounted for, then it's vacant to me.

Chief Norman put up a statistic that revealed that 19% of LODD deaths are occuring in vacant buildings. Totally unacceptable, and preventable.

My thoughts are with the families of those brothers, may they rest in peace.

Paul

HAS ANYONE NOTICED THAT ENGINE 30 AND LADDER 25, WERE THE LAST BOSTON CODE 3 RELEASES, A FEW MONTHS AGO .

Location: BUFFALO NY

That was the underlying reason that I posted the info, realizing that we usually don't post LODD's here, but this was just tragically ironic. You wonder if either of those guys were diecast buffs that helped with making the scale replica of their apparatus happen.

I see that the Code 3 issue was mentioned on the other board, and the moderator locked it-rightly so.

Tragic as it is, people cannot help noticing coincidences, and remarking on it, thats no reason to lock a topic.
How about this one if you want to talk about insensitivety, I noticed on ebay last week, FDNY firezone had listed a code 3 laddertruck, and its main point on the selling line was, "with 911 on the front"

Location: London UK

You don't say? Could it be that those numbers are behind the whole FDNY craze?

Somehow, I can't equate any LODD with collecting toy trucks. Code 3 started the memorial truck with the best of intentions after Worcester. That truck is still hotly traded on ebay.

I'm glad that the moderator torpedoed the topic quickly, before the inevitable posts demanding a special "Memorial Set release...with the proceeds going to....etc." appeared. If financial assistance is requested, I would rather forward it directly to the house rather than use it as a pretext for expanding my collection.

The initial intent of my post was to reflect the irony of such a tradgedy occuring within a month of the replicas being created (which is why I posted the Company Units in the subject line). Not to solicit any kind of die cast proceed donation from C3 or anyone else.

For those of you who do wish to contribute directly to an established memorial fund in their honor:

Donation Information

Boston Firefighters Credit Union
60 Hallet St.
Dorchester,MA
02124

AS A LIFE LONG BUFF AND COLLECTOR,ALMOST 50 YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN MANY SUCH COINCIDENCES. THIS I FEEL MAKES THE HOBBY VERY INTERESTING. SHARING SUCH INFORMATION WITH FELLOW COLLECTORS IS GREATLY APPRECIATED BY MY FELLOW BUFFS AND COLLECTORS, AS SHOWN BY EMAILS I HAVE GOTTEN FROM OTHER COLLECTORS, ON MY NETWORK AND OTHER SOURCES.THE FIRE ZONE TO USE 911 AS A SELLING POINT I FEEL IS IN BAD TASTE.I FEEL LODD REPORTING IS A SERVICE TO MEMBERS OF THIS FINE BOARD, AND I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE SEEING IT HERE,AS THIS IS ANOTHER WAY TO LET EVERYONE KNOW HOW DANGEROUS FIREFIGHTING REALLY IS.IT WAS MY ONLY INTENTION TO BRING TO LIGHT THIS COINCIDENCE. I AM SURE THAT THOSE WHO PURCHASED THE 2 CODE 3 PIECES, FEEL A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE TRAGIC EVENT .

Location: BUFFALO NY

According to ebays rules, it is NOT allowed, if you look under the offensive articles section, any "Items produced by or linked to disastrous or tragic events" are in the banned items list.

Location: London UK