Worcester Firefighter Dies Fighting 5-Alarm Fire

WORCESTER, MA — A firefighter is dead after being trapped in a building where a five-alarm fire broke out Sunday morning. Christopher Roy, 36, was a single father with an 8-year-old daughter. He had served with the Worcester Fire Department in the Webster Square Station for 2 1/2 years.

Five firefighters had been trapped in the burning building and were able to escape. Of those five who escaped, two were hospitalized. Fire Chief Michael Lavoie said in a press conference that Roy was one of two firefighters who were hospitalized battling the fire. The other firefighter is in stable condition.

Lavoie said department members were "heroic" in their efforts to save Roy.

Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty also spoke at the press conference, saying "In hushed tones, the citizens of Worcester will remember Roy's sacrifice."

The Worcester Fire Department tweeted a photo mourning the loss of Roy.

The Worcester Fire Department mourns the line of duty death of FF Christopher Roy who courageously battled a 5 alarm fire on Lowell St. All responding firefighters & crews displayed supreme heroism under extreme conditions. We ask you to keep the family of FF Roy in your thoughts pic.twitter.com/Xs0bOQHGFa
— Worcester Fire Dept. (@WorcesterFD) December" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/WorcesterF... 9, 2018

The fire started in the basement of an apartment on Lowell Street just before 4 a.m. Streets are still closed and fire crews have stayed on scene to put the flames out. The fire is still under investigation.

The Red Cross was on the scene to help about a dozen residents displaced by the fire, according to their Twitter feed.

The loss comes just a day after the anniversary of the death of Worcester firefighter Jon D. Davies Sr., who died fighting an apartment fire on Dec. 8, 2011. Dec. 3 was also the anniversary of the Worcester Cold Storage Fire that killed six Worcester firefighters.

Photo Credit: Worcester Fire Dept.