IAFF Local 22 Memorial Page for
Lieutenant Robert Neary and Firefighter Danial Sweeney
Father Of Fallen Firefighter Speaks To FOX 29: MyFoxPHILLY.com
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.
Ladder company mourns loss of firefighters | 6abc.com
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.
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.
Philadelphia and the Fire Service mourns two firefighters who gave all they had to offer in service to this city.
(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)
