A visibly distraught and fatigued Porterville Fire Chief Dave Lapere on Thursday lauded fallen firefighters Ramon “Ray” Figueroa and Patrick Jones as “consummate professionals” who died trying to ensure no one was trapped inside the city library during a raging fire.
Figueroa, 35, a fire captain, and Jones, an engineer trainee, perished battling an alleged arson fire Tuesday that authorities say was set by two 13-year-old Porterville boys.
Lapere also praised firefighters who sped to the aid of the city’s department from as far as Fresno and Los Angeles.
Lepere said that left him “humbled,” although he had not slept in two days and eaten very little.
He said all of his firefighters are in the same condition and the department is standing down until Monday, turning the safety of the city to outside agencies.
Joanne Bear, a Tulare County Fire captain also at Thursday’s news conference, indicated the heavy amount of combustible material inside the library quickly enveloped the building, trapping Figueroa and Jones as they searched for anyone inside the blazing building.
Figueroa was pulled quickly from the flames, but Jones was not found until late Wednesday night.
The library was built in 1953 and was in critical need of upgrades, including a fire-reporting system.
The two teens were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and arson.
Porterville Police Chief Eric Kroutil, also at the news conference, declined to provide additional information about the teenagers in custody, citing California laws protecting juvenile rights.
He noted, however, that even if convicted in the deaths of the firefighters, they would be released from custody by their 25th birthdays, and possibly by their 23rd.
“Even if we are not big fans of the law, we still have to follow it,” Kroutil said.
In addition to the loss of lives, the destruction of the library itself is a huge loss for the city and surrounding area, said City Manager John Lawless.
Lawless said the city plans to provide an event to mourn the loss of the firefighters, though those plans depend on a big cleanup in the wake of the blaze in the heart of the Tulare County city.
“Buildings can be replaced,” Lawless said, “but people can’t.”
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