Joan Ronstadt
Staff Writer
During Wednesday’s nine-alarm fire in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood, two firefighters died and 18 first responders were injured.
Lt. Edward J. Walsh, father of three young children and firefighter Michael Kennedy, a U.S. Marine veteran, have been identified as the two who died. Officials said they would have been among the first to the scene.
According to the LA Times, the fire began in the basement of a four-story brownstone and spread from there. Walsh and Kennedy were trapped in the basement of the apartment building where, according to officials, there was an explosion-like backdraft. The raging fire spread quickly, causing first responders and firefighters to pull out of the building.
Rich Paris, president of the Boston firefighters union said on Wednesday “people were saved by the actions they did in the fire today,” during a news conference.
“That’s what we do,” he said, “We sacrifice our lives for the citizens of Boston.”
No civilian deaths caused by the fire have been reported.
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