Four Years After the Tai Ho Restaurant Fire

The first thing you hear about fallen Boston firefighters Warren Payne and Paul Cahill is what great guys they were before their untimely death on August 29 in 2007.

"His kids came before anything," said Firefighter Kevin Harrison of Warren Payne. "He did a lot of details. But he wouldn't work on the weekends because that was his kids' time.

"Warren was one of the best EMS guys. He comforted everyone. He enjoyed helping people. He knew his job and whether it was going into a burning building... it just wasn't his day..." added Harrison.

Payne and Cahill died four years ago to today when a grease fire erupted at the Tai Ho Restaurant at 1727 Centre St. The restaurant never reopened. Payne and Cahill died while entering the building, in which a backdraft shot through the building.

The fire quickly spread through adjacent buildings, which have since been rebuilt by block owner Jack Kennedy.

Firefighter Arthur "CJ" Brooks, who had only been in the Centre Street fire house for several weeks before that fateful night, was actually having Payne fill-in for him because Brooks had EMT training that night. "Once I got back I went over there [to work]."

Payne wanted the extra four hours of work that night.

Harrison remarked that God had other plans for CJ that night.

Cahill is always regarded as the chef of the house. Known for his meat sauces, the firefighters would commonly come together for meals like you see in movies and television.

"He was a great cook," said Brooks. "I loved his steaks."

But Harrison let in on a house secret, "He was a great cook, but basically he took his wife's cooking recipes and brought them to the house. He made a great oven-fried chicken!"

"Paul had a million-and-one stories. He was a good guy," added Harrison about Cahill.

A Block Restored

Looking at the Centre Street block four years later you would never know there was a fatal fire four years ago that killed two Boston firefighters.

Block owner Jack Kennedy quietly rebuilt the block with his own store , and , , and The four businesses are all doing well and popular in the community. 

owner Eric Grande said he was at home in Roslindale when he saw the news of the fire on the television and rushed over to the scene. 

"We got a lot of smoke damage... Everything around my desk was damaged from the smoke. We had cleaning crews... We were down for a couple of weeks because you couldn't even come in from the smoke."

Grande said it was hard to believe that four years had already passed since that fateful night.

Both Harrison and Brooks said the same thing, remarking that the four years have gone by quickly. But both men will always remember Warren Payne and Paul Cahill. 

As a tribute to the men, Harrison said he touches two memorial cards of the men positioned on the driver's side visor in Engine 30 every time he goes out on a call.