Fallen firefighter's family describes his love for job

SCITUATE - The family of Paul J. Cahill, one of the two firefighters who died Wednesday night when a roof collapsed during a fire in a West Roxbury restaurant, thanked the public yesterday for its support.

"He loved his job. He loved being the first one in the building, he was aggressive," said Anne, his wife of 34 years, who was joined by the couple's two sons and daughter and other family members for a 15-minute press conference at 5 p.m. in the backyard of their home on the South Shore.

His younger brother, Jim Cahill, said "the outpouring of love for Paul's family has been amazing."

"Everyone is saying Paul is a hero," he said. "He is not a hero because of how he died, he is a hero because of how he lived. He was a giver. . . . [Firefighters] don't ever ask who's in there or what they believe in, they just do it."

The family stood beside a garden full of tomatoes, basil, and flowers.

"His grandfather had a garden and he kind of learned from him," said Anne Cahill with a smile. "He loved being home and he loved working outside."

Cahill, 55, a 14-year veteran of the Boston Fire Department, was among the first firefighters to rush inside the restaurant, holding the nozzle of the fire hose and spraying the kitchen ceiling just before it collapsed and the building erupted in flames. He was just behind Warren Payne, who died after being engulfed in flames while searching for patrons and employees, unaware they had all fled.

Both men served in the firehouse on Centre Street in West Roxbury, headquarters of Engine 30 and Ladder 25, where residents and fellow firefighters have continued to drop by to offer flowers, food, and hugs. The department has been inundated with donations for a fund it set up for the firefighters' families.

Payne, who was divorced and leaves two teenage sons, has been recalled by his colleagues as a compassionate man with a knack for remembering small details and performing some of the most physically demanding jobs. His family, which also includes his mother and two brothers, has not yet held a press conference.

The Cahills yesterday offered condolences to the Payne family.

The Fire Department yesterday announced that Payne's funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at the United House of Prayer in Dorchester. There will be a viewing from 9 to 11 a.m., according to a spokesman, Steven MacDonald.

Cahill will lie in state at St. John the Evangelist Church in Canton from 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, and at Holy Name Church in West Roxbury, just yards from the scene of the fire, from noon to 6 Wednesday. His funeral will be Thursday at 11 a.m.

The Boston Fire Department has assembled a list of hotels that will be offering discounts so that out-of-town firefighters can attend the funerals.

After the press conference yesterday, Cahill's wife recounted the last time she had seen Cahill, on a sunny weekend vacationing on Chebeague Island in Maine. Cahill went bike riding and fishing with his daughter, Shauna, 19, and son, Adam, 21, before returning on Monday morning so he could work that night.

"It was the best vacation ever," said Anne Cahill, whose eyes were swollen but whose demeanor was composed. "I begged him to stay."

He was due to return to Maine Thursday morning, after his shift ended at 8 a.m., she said. Instead, one of Cahill's sisters called Anne Cahill shortly after 9:30 p.m. to tell her that her husband had been injured in the fire. A short time later, Fire Commissioner Roderick J. Fraser told her that Cahill had died.

The Fire Department arranged for a ferry to take Anne Cahill and her children to their car on the mainland, and three Boston police cruisers escorted the family back to the city.

Their oldest son, Brendan, 28, a former Marine, flew in last week from his home in San Diego.

Fire investigators believe that Wednesday's fire began in a crawl space, where grease from the ventilation system had collected and burned undetected for an hour before someone called 911.

City records show the restaurant had a history of code violations and was eight months overdue for a health inspection that would have included a review of the ventilation system.

City Councilor Stephen Murphy, chairman of the public safety committee, said yesterday that his committee would hold hearings within the next two weeks, after the Fire Department completes its investigation. The hearings, which will include testimony from public safety and city officials, will examine whether the city should hire more inspectors and whether new regulations could prevent similar tragedies.

Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.