Worcester Remembers 6 Firefighters Killed 22 Years Ago In Cold Storage Fire

WORCESTER (CBS) – Worcester is remembering one of the darkest days in the city's history.

Twenty-two years ago, on December 3, 1999 six firefighters were killed in the Worcester Cold Storage fire.

Lt. Thomas Spencer, Lt. Timothy Jackson Sr., Lt. James Lyons III, and firefighters Jeremiah Lucey, Paul Brotherton and Joseph McGuirk died after becoming trapped in the fire. It was determined to have been started by two homeless people. The firefighters died while looking for them inside the vacant warehouse.

Lucey was actor and comedian Denis Leary's cousin. Spencer was a childhood friend of Leary's. Less than a year after the fire, the Worcester native created the Leary Firefighters Foundation which raises money and resources for fire departments across the country.

Worcester dedicated a new memorial in October to honor all city firefighters killed in the line of duty. It includes a special section for the Worcester Six.

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• Worcester News