Memphis Firefighters Died as Heroes

MEMPHIS -- Two firefighters died braving fire and smoke in a three-alarm fire at a Frayser business, believing they were going in to save trapped civilians, fire officials said Monday.

However, reports that people were inside the burning Family Dollar store at 3732 Watkins proved untrue.

As both experienced firefighters searched for victims Sunday night, a portion of the roof collapsed, trapping them.

Lt. Trent Kirk, an 11-year Fire Department veteran, died inside the store after urging other firefighters to retreat.

It was several hours after the collapse that a rescue team knocked a hole in the north wall of the building to pull him out.

Firefighter Charles Zachary, a 19-year veteran, was pulled from the blaze after 15 minutes, Fire Director Chester Anderson said. He died of his injuries early Monday.

A third firefighter, identified as Timothy Scott, was treated and released for injuries Sunday night.

"There was nothing any individual firefighter could have done," Anderson said.

The 911 calls to the Fire Department "reported a possible rescue situation," Anderson said. "The reason they went in . . . was that possibly there was someone in the building," he said.

The two fallen firefighters were among the first to arrive at the fire about 7:45 p.m. and formed a team of several that went inside to search for victims, Anderson said.

Because the back entrances were barred, the firefighters had to attack from the front. The team made its way to the back of the store, where they encountered intense heat, Deputy Director Claude Talford said.

They were able to beat back the fire and Kirk advised the other firefighters to get out.

But as parts of the roof started to fall the firefighters apparently became disoriented. Everyone got out except Kirk and Zachary.

It's unclear how firefighters were able to rescue Zachary. But they were unable to explore the store in search of Kirk because of its unstable nature.

"We could not take a chance of anyone else getting maimed or killed," Talford said.

"The roof had collapsed. Personnel were trapped. There was a lot of fire inside," said Talford.

A Fire Department investigation into the cause and origin of the fire began Monday.

This morning, they will be joined by investigators from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and other agencies.

Memphis ATF agent in charge Gene Marquez said his agency was bringing in its top investigators.

The one-story flat roof building held various sorts of flammables, including clothes and aerosol products, officials said.

In addition to conducting witness interviews, investigators will be looking for signs of an accelerant.

Investigators will also be reviewing dispatch tapes to see why the firefighters believed someone was trapped in the building when they arrived.

In a press conference Monday, Anderson said the losses left firefighters across the city shaken. Some were allowed to go home Sunday night and counseling sessions were held Monday.

It was particularly hard for "the ones that work with them every day, and know their wives and children," Anderson said.

Firefighters felt "emptiness," he said. "They have lost one of their own."

The business opened in 1998 and passed all electrical, mechanical, building and plumbing inspections, said Allen Medlock of the Memphis and Shelby County Construction Code Enforcement office.

He said the building likely had a metal truss roof construction, which warps and collapses under high heat.

Though they are legal, he said, "there are better types of construction."

Inside the Memphis Tragedy