A Year Later: New Haven Firefighter Torres Died In The Line Of Duty

NEW HAVEN, CT — On the one-year anniversary of the tragic death of New Haven firefighter Ricardo Torres J., Dixwell Station will honor the fallen hero who, as a young boy, dreamed of being a firefighter.

His home station, Engine Company 6, Truck Company 4 and Emergency Company 3, on Goffe Street, is unveiling a memorial in honor of Torres Thursday.

It was just before 1 a.m., May 12, 2021, when firefighters were called to the two-family home at 190 Valley St. The house was "fully involved" with fire, Fire Chief John Alston said at the time. Two who had been trapped were rescued, one, the 84-year-old woman who owned the property and a male second floor tenant. In less than 30 minutes, the blaze became a two-alarm fire and soon, a mayday came in. Torres was "lost and disoriented on the second floor," Alston said at the time.

Torres, and firefighter Lt. Samod Rankins were found unconscious on the second floor. Firefighters from various fire companies worked under "intense conditions" to get the men out of the house, Alston said then. Torres did not survive, and Rankins, seriously burned, was hospitalized.

Months later, the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said his cause of death was asphyxia due to lack of breathing gas, and the manner of death was ruled as accidental.

At the time, when Alston was asked how firefighters are coping with the loss, said, "There are no words, absolutely no words. You see all the stages of grief happening in real time."

After 12 days in the burn unit, Rankins was discharged from the Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital.

Torres, who became a New Haven firefighter in July 2019, was laid to rest May 20, 2021.