WORCESTER — A Worcester firefighter is dead after having been trapped in a burning building in what would become a five-alarm fire on Sunday morning.
During a press conference Worcester Fire Chief Michael Lavoie gave a brief statement about the incident and identified the fallen firefighter as 36-year old Christopher Roy.
Worcester firefighters were alerted to the fire at 7 Lowell Street 3:58 a.m. It was initially reported as a basement fire in a three-story residential building.
During firefighting operations conditions deteriorated rapidly with heavy fire forcing firefighters on the second floor to evacuate. A rapid intervention team, and other firefighters, helped them withdraw from the building by ground ladders.
Firefighter Roy and one other firefighter were transported to a local hospital. Roy succumbed to his injuries. The other firefighter is in stable condition and has not been identified.
“Fire crews were heroic in their efforts to rescue their colleagues under extreme conditions,” said Chief Lavoie.
Roy, a member of Ladder 4, was with the Worcester Fire Department for only two and a half years according to Lavoie. He is survived by an eight-year old daughter, his parents, and a brother.
The Worcester Fire Department mourns the line of duty death of FF Christopher Roy who courageously battled a 5 alarm fire on Lowell St. All responding firefighters & crews displayed supreme heroism under extreme conditions. We ask you to keep the family of FF Roy in your thoughts pic.twitter.com/Xs0bOQHGFa
– Worcester Fire Dept. (@WorcesterFD) December 9, 2018
“This is a difficult day for the Worcester Fire Department and particularly painful as this is the week we remember the mourn the passing of Worcester firefighter John Davis and the six who perished in the cold storage fire,” said Lavoie.
“Once again December has proven to be the cruelest month of the year to the Worcester Fire Department,” said Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty about the past line of duty deaths remembered recently.
Approximately two dozen occupants have been displaced by the fire.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
MassLive: Worcester firefighter killed in blaze identified as Christopher Roy, a 36-year-old father of a young daughter
WCVB: Chief identifies firefighter who died after becoming trapped in five-alarm Worcester fire
WHDH: Fire officials identify firefighter killed while battling fierce 5-alarm Worcester blaze
Worcester Patch: Worcester Firefighter Dies Fighting 4-Alarm Fire
