More West Roxbury fire coverage:
 Flames smoldered undetected in ceiling Officials react to the tragedy Neighbors pay tribute with flowers, poems Video
 Were you there?Press conference: Mayor Menino Fire Chief MacCurtain
Photos:
 The scene
Tributes and memorials
From today's Globe:
2 firefighters die, 12 hurt in blaze Amid the embers, a neighborhood mourns
 Map Past fires causing multiple deaths Past tragediesPost a tribute: Paul Cahill
Warren Payne |
local news updates
updated
Thursday, 4:30 PM
Thursday, 4:30 PM
From the City & Region staff at The Boston Globe
Flames smoldered for hour in ceiling of West Roxbury restaurant before firefighters arrived
(Wendy Maeda/ Globe Staff)
Boston Fire Chief Kevin MacCurtain spoke about Wednesday night's fatal fire at a press conference today at City Hall.
By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff
Flames had been smoldering undetected for at least an hour in a double ceiling at a West Roxbury restaurant before noxious gases exploded in a violent blaze that killed two firefighters, an official said this afternoon at a press conference.
The ventilation system in the kitchen at Tai Ho Mandarin and Cantonese Restaurant was blocked, and grease had been accumulating in an 8- to 10-inch crawl space above a drop ceiling. Employees and diners at the restaurant did not know that flames were smoldering overhead, leaving the fire unnoticed until it was detected in the kitchen at about 9 p.m. Wednesday, said Fire Chief Kevin P. MacCurtain at the press conference at City Hall. Firefighters rushed from Engine 30, Ladder 25 to the scene on Centre Street, which is less than a mile away.
"They ran a hose line into the building thinking, 'This one is going to be easy, I can see a little bit of fire in the kitchen,' " MacCurtain said. "When they started to extinguish the fire, something unexpected happened, something we haven't seen."
The fiber ceiling exploded on top of the firefighters, and the restaurant was engorged by flames that had been building in the crawl space.
Two veteran firefighters were killed. They were identified as Paul J. Cahill, 55, of Scituate and Warren J. Payne, 53, of Canton, the first deaths of firefighters in a fire since 1994.Ten other firefighters and one paramedic were injured. All have been discharged from area hospitals except firefighter Ken Gibson from Engine 55, whom officials expect to be released Friday from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.
"Today is a day for the city of Boston to come together, to grieve, to reflect, and to gain a new appreciation for the men and women of the Boston Fire Department," Mayor Thomas M. Menino said. "We have seen outpouring of support from the people of West Roxbury -- the flowers, the American flags line the entrance of the fire houses where these fire fighters were stationed. That unity, that compassion, that resilience is how we get going through this very serious tragedy."
Fire Commissioner Roderick Fraser said he launched a joint management-union investigation to find out exactly what happened and determine whether any department procedures need to be changed.
"The men in these companies were veteran, experienced firefighters," Fraser said. "This particular event progressed particularly rapidly from the moment the first companies arrived."
The Department of Neighborhood Development will provide grants of up to $5,000 to each of the five businesses damaged in the fire, Menino said. The city plans to provide an engineer, architect, and other technical assistance and will expedite the permit process to get the businesses reopen as possible, he said.
A fund has been established to benefit the families of Cahill and Payne, said Edward Kelly, president of Boston Firefighters Local 718. "We are rallying around each other, right now our focus is to take care of and try to comfort the families of both Warren and Paul," Kelly said.
