A Worcester firefighter died Sunday shortly after he was pulled from a burning apartment building on Lowell Street.
Fire Chief Michael Lavoie identified the victim as Firefighter Christopher Roy, 36, a 2½-year member of the department. He lived in Shrewsbury and leaves a 9-year-old daughter.
The fire was reported at 3:58 a.m. as a basement fire in a three-story apartment building at 7 Lowell St. Firefighters entered the building and the “conditions deteriorated rapidly with heavy fire forcing several firefighters on the second floor to evacuate,” Chief Lavoie said. Officials ultimately raised the response level to five-alarms, bringing in more crews.
Chief Lavoie said other crews and Rapid Intervention Team members helped five firefighters escape the blaze using ladders. Two others, including Firefighter Roy, became trapped and were pulled from the second-floor by colleagues. Both injured firefighters were taken to a hospital, where one of them passed away.