Fire exacts a heavy price

Some might call it ironic that two Philadelphia firefighters were killed a week before the dedication of a plaque honoring the last multiple deaths of firemen, which occurred eight years ago.

Tragic, though, would be the more appropriate word.

Fire Lt. Robert Neary, 60, and firefighter Daniel Sweeney, 25, died Monday while fighting an intense blaze that had engulfed an abandoned warehouse in the Kensington neighborhood. Three other firefighters were injured; one was sent to intensive care.

Strong winds that had buffeted Philadelphia for more than a day threatened to spread the embers to nearby residences, so they were evacuated. The five-alarm blaze, which broke out about 3:15 a.m., sparked a number of small fires that damaged six homes.

The fire was declared under control shortly after 5 a.m. About a half-hour later, Neary and Sweeney were among five firefighters who became trapped inside an adjacent furniture store that they had entered to make sure the fire was out. Officials say they were killed when a wall of the store and part of its roof collapsed.

It took nearly two hours to rescue the trapped firefighters. Deputy Fire Commissioner Ernest Hargett described it as a "hard and tedious job," as great care had to be taken in removing the rubble and timbers that had the firefighters pinned. A mistake could have easily led to additional injuries.

No words can truly comfort when such a tragedy occurs. Every time a firefighter answers an alarm, it could easily turn from routine to deadly.

There is no moment to relax, even when a fire is believed to be under control. No matter how guarded you are, you remain vulnerable.

The last fireman to die while on duty was Tracy Champion, who suffered a heart attack in January 2006. In August 2004, Fire Capt. John Taylor, 53, and firefighter Rey Rubio, 42, were killed while battling a fire in a house basement that had been converted into a marijuana greenhouse. Their plaque dedication will have an added degree of emotion with these new firefighter fatalities.

Neary, a married father of three, had been planning for his retirement. Sweeney was the son of retired Fire Capt. David Sweeney, who spent 37 years in the department. The elder Sweeney said he had wished his son "a good night at work" when he saw him on Sunday afternoon. "And that was the last time I spoke to him."

Mayor Nutter was out of town in Tallahassee, Fla., for a conference, but he called the victims' families to offer his condolences. "It just hurts a great, great deal," Nutter told reporters - sentiments also expressed by Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers, who called the deaths "a terrible tragedy." Of course, they still have a job to do.

Not only will the deadly fire's cause be under investigation, but so will the actions of the firefighters, and their commanders, who responded to the call. Perhaps nothing could have been done differently to prevent the firefighters from becoming trapped, but that must be fully explored to help prevent future tragedies.

In the meantime, Philadelphia must pause to mourn two more firefighters who gave all they had to offer in service to this city.