Please keep these brothers in your thoughts and payers

[Firefighter2230]

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/15525002/detail.html

Guys if you could please keep this department and the county in your thoughts and prayers. As of right now I know I think that the four injured is correct however it is confirmed that their have been two fatalities at the fire. However it is not known if they are from the city department or one of the county departments.

Thanks

[frenchfireball]

may the 2 fallen bros,rest in peace.

condolences and prayers for their families and friends.

[ffbam24]

Rest in Peace Brothers.

[dave29]

No Damnit!!!

[MaryJane69]

My thoughts are with you. My prayers go out to all those involved and affected by this. I can't believe more FFs are down, god rest their souls.

[resqb1]

RIP Brothers!!

This is a terrible year for the job

[sconfire]

Editor's Note: WCNC-TV has reported a third firefighter has died after battling the blaze. At least two other firefighters remain hospitalized. Firehouse.com will provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

Spoke with the Charlotte PIO who is assisting on scene. There are only 2 FF's that have died. The 3rd is still alive. The Police were telling media that 3 FF's had died.

The count stands at 2... for now. The 3rd is hurt badly.

[GFD748]

RIP my brothers. You will never be for gotten. I pray for the families and the departments of my fallen brothers and to whatch over the ones still fighting. My we honor you and keep your memories forever for you have given the ultimate sacrafice for your community.

[IronsMan53]

How tragic. It really brings it home to realize that while I was drinking coffee and joking around with the brothers this morning these brothers were running their last call. I don't know, in a way it makes me feel guilty that I was having such an enjoyable time while they and their department was going through such tragedy.

Maybe several years down the road after my time comes I'll have the opportunty to able to sit down, shoot the breeze and have a coffee with those brothers too. Yeah, I think I'd like that.

Rest easy brothers.

[jbrescue]

WTF? Rest in Peace Brothers.

[superchef]

May those who were lost rest in peace.

[MalahatTwo7]

Here's the updated story:

2 Firefighters Killed In Warehouse Blaze
Two Other Firefighters Injured In Blaze

POSTED: 12:37 pm EST March 7, 2008

SALISBURY, N.C. -- Two firefighters died Friday fighting a massive five-alarm fire at a wood millworks in Rowan County, a hospital official said.

The fire broke out around 7 a.m. EST Friday at Salisbury Millworks, about 20 miles north of Charlotte, reported Winston-Salem, N.C, TV station WXII.

A hospital official confirmed the deaths and said two other two firefighters were injured.

"One was dead on arrival and one died here this morning," said Michael Burton, a spokesman at Rowan Regional Medical Center.

Reports said one other firefighter injured in the blaze was sent to a Winston-Salem, N.C., hospital for treatment. The Salisbury Post newspaper reported on its Web site that a fourth injured firefighter was flown to the University of North Carolina Hospital in Chapel Hill for treatment.

Firefighters haven't said how the fire started. The facility, where cabinets were built, was reported to be a total loss, WXII reported.

No employees were in the building when the fire broke out.

Firefighters gathered at the hospital this morning, supporting each other and their injured comrades. By lunchtime, some went back to the fire scene, the Salisbury Post reported.

The fire was not the first fire at the location, the Post reported.

A fire in 1959 called "the most spectacular and damaging fire in Salisbury history" destroyed the Salisbury Lumber and Supply building that once sat on the site.

An earlier fire in 1939 leveled the original plant on the site, Arey Brick and Lumber Co.

Another fire gutted a portion of Salisbury Lumber and Supply in 1998 but did not affect the production part of the plant.

Additional Resource:

The Salisbury Post
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report

[Slaytallica45]

A very sad and tragic event, hope the other FF's injured are able to pull through.

Any word on what happend (collapse, flashover?)

[csquesnel]

May those who passed, rest in peace. Thoughts and prayers to the wounded.

[chief6400]

Acording to live news conference with Chief both worked for Saulisbury as paid firefighters. One 40 years old, one 19. The Captain age unknown is in Baptist Burn center, but expected to recover. I do have the names but not printing at this time.

[Firemanwood]

Go easy brothers. My prayers to their family and departments.

[Futureemt73193]

My prayers and thoughts are with all of them and families and friends. Hope for a great recovery for the ones who are injured.

[Dickey]

Very very sad.

RIP Brothers!!

We are starting the year off to be a record year, this is terrible.

[eaglesrule1024]

Firefighters killed in blaze identified

04:28 PM EST on Friday, March 7, 2008

By WCNC Staff
E-mail Us: NEWS@WCNC.com

WCNC

Click here to view images from the scene

SALISBURY, N.C. -- Two firefighters have died and four others were injured after battling a five-alarm fire at a lumber mill in Rowan County. The dead firefighters were identified Friday afternoon as 40-year-old Victor Isler and 19-year-old Justin Monroe of the Salisbury Fire Department.

Three firefighters from the Locke Fire Department, including Chief Rusty Alexander, were injured. All had non-life threatening injuries. They had all been released from Rowan Regional Medical Center on Friday afternoon.

Post your condolences to the two firefighters who died. Sign our Guestbook | View our Guestbook

In a news conference Friday afternoon, Salisbury Fire Chief Robert Parnell said Isler and Monroe died while working on the hose team battling the blaze.

“We lost two excellent firefighters – they are our friends, our brothers, our buddies, and we certainly are going to miss both of them,” Parnell said.

A Rowan Regional Medical Center official said one firefighter died on the way to the hospital, and the second died after arrival.

Isler and Monroe’s supervisor, Capt. Rick Barkley, suffered second-degree and possibly third-degree burns, the chief said. Barkley was taken to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem and was expected to be released Friday night.

(Click here to view raw video of the fire)

Locke Fire Chief Rusty Alexander was among the four firefighters injured in Friday's fire. He is expected to be OK.

An earlier report from a Salisbury police officer that a third firefighter had died was untrue.

The fire broke out before 7 a.m. Friday at a lumber company on South Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. An employee who had just arrived at work called authorities.

"I've been here 20 years. It's pretty upsetting," that employee told WCNC. "But we're all going to work together and keep on going."

Firefighters from across the region were called in to help.
Timeline of fires at Salisbury Lumber

1939 - Fire at Arey Brick and Lumber Co. caused $35,000 in damages. Two fire trucks were burned by blowing flames. Two nearby houses caught fire but were saved.
1959 - A fire caused more than $200,000 in damages. The Salisbury Post headline read "Worst Blaze in History of City Ravages Salisbury Lumber's Plant." The fire destroyed three buildings. The fire started in the basement and was discovered by an employee coming to work at about 6:45 a.m.
1998 - A fire started at night, but firefighters were able to stop it from spreading to the production part of the plant. The fire burned through the two-story warehouse area and collapsed the roof.
--The Salisbury Post

The Charlotte Fire Department sent about 25 rescue workers to help fight the fire. According to CFD spokesperson Mark Basnight, the aid included three engine companies, one ladder company, one heavy rescue company, a USAR/Structural Collapse company and several chief officers.

Piedmont Gas spokesperson David Trusty said about 20 customers in the area around the fire were without gas on Friday afternoon. The customers included a mix of small businesses and nearby homes. Piedmont expected to turn on gas service later Friday afternoon.

The lumber company, which builds cabinets, employs about 25 to 30 people. Reportedly no employees were inside at the time of the fire.

WCNC has several reporters following this story. We’ll bring you the latest beginning today at 4:30.

[Eng18a]

RIP this is a tragic loss