Fallen Denver Firefighter Remembered

For the first time since she was pulled from her burning home a week ago Sunday, the teenager rescued by firefighters spoke publicly on Monday.

For the past week, 16-year-old Raquel Gutierrez has been fighting for her life at University Hospital. But now she has improved enough to talk to reporters with her mother. She is bandaged and on oxygen, but otherwise she's doing remarkably well, doctors said.

"I have a burn on my arm, burn on my leg," she said.

Raquel and her mother quickly teared up when asked about Lt. Rich Montoya, a 61-year-old veteran firefighter who suffered a cardiac arrest while trying to save them, and who died from his injuries on Sunday.

"There's not really a way to put it into words, like (long pause), he's a firefighter and he died. Sad," Raquel said.

"Our family would like to thank firefighter Montoya's family. Oh, geez, we feel so much for him. My daughter's alive because of Fire Station No. 9. We are so grateful. We had no idea the magnitude of work that they do for our community (big gasp) ... My daughter's alive and we are so grateful," said Raquel's mother, Cindy Maestas, crying.

Raquel's younger sister, Shantell, tried to save her before calling 911.

"And I carried her for a couple steps and then I couldn't hold her anymore and I dropped her," Shantell Gutierrez said. "It was so much worse than you'd think it would be. Like, you can't see nothing. I was trying to look for my sister and, like, the smoke was burning my eyes so I couldn't see. I had to try to figure out where I was with my eyes closed. And it was just scary."

"The black smoke was just pouring out. I closed the door trying to contain the fire. It just, it didn't work," Maestas said.

"I don't remember anything," Raquel said.

The family was left with very few possessions from the fire, but they say they are more grateful than ever before for what they do have left.

"We have nothing ... but we are so very lucky," said Maestas.

"Thank you so much. You guys have a great guy, who saved a lot of people," Raquel said.

Montoya had been in a medically induced coma, on a ventilator, since the May 14 fire. His family respected his living will and disconnected him from life support equipment Sunday morning. He passed away at about 10 a.m.

He was only 15 shifts from retirement.

Montoya's funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on Colfax Avenue. He will likely be buried at Fort Logan. Anticipating a large turnout for his funeral, a Denver Fire spokesman said a reception will follow at the Colorado Convention Center after the burial.

"While the tragic loss of Lt. Montoya is hardest on his family and colleagues in the Denver Fire Department, his death is mourned by all of us throughout the City and County of Denver," said Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper Monday afternoon in a released statement. "Denver city flags have been lowered to half staff and will remain so until after memorial services later this week to acknowledge the loss of a valued public servant, family man, friend and athlete. While we were fortunate to have Lt. Montoya serve in the Denver Fire Department for 30 years, he was taken from us too soon."

According to the United States Fire Administration, 36 firefighters have been killed in the line of duty in 2006, not including Montoya.

Donations are being accepted for the Richard P. Montoya Memorial Fund at any local 1st Bank location.

Anyone interested in donating money or household items for the Gutierrez family can go to GutierrezReliefFund.org or send donations to the Susana Gutierrez Disaster Relief Fund, c/o Mountain States Bank, 1635 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, CO, 80218.

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