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Two clips of raw video from this morning's fire.

Listen to dispatch and fireground audio: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 (mayday), Part 4. (For the radio traffic of the entire day click here and go to the bottom of the page and choose the date & time under "feed archives".)

Erie County Fire Wire

More raw video from fire

Watch noon press conference

Firefighters remove bodies of their colleagues from the building

Later firefighting and recovery efforts

List of previous LODDs in Buffalo

Buffalo Fire Department

WIVB-TV

WGRZ-TV

WKBW-TV

UPDATED at 4:15 PM

At a noon press conference, Buffalo Fire Commissioner Michael Lombardo said there was a 911 report of someone who may be trapped inside 1815 Genesee just before 4:00 this morning. Lt. Charles "Chip" McCarthy of Rescue Company 1 and Firefighter Jonathan Croom of Ladder Company 7, both on the first alarm, went into the building to search for the possible victim. A mayday was called a little more than a half-hour into the indicent. The bodies of the two firefighters were found together in the basement of the structure after the first floor collapsed.

Lt. McCarthy was 45-years-old and a 22-year veteran. Firefighter Croom was 34-years-old and had 10-years on the department.

Buffalo Fire Department pictures of Lt. Charles "Chip" McCarthy & Firefighter Jonathan Croom via The Buffalo News.

The fire occurred in the 1815 Genesee Street at the Super Speedy Deli. It was reported at 3:49 AM.

The fireground audio clearly has dispatchers providing the report of people trapped. Engine 31 reported smoke showing as the crew left its quarters and confirmed the report of people trapped as they arrived on the scene. Engine 31 also reports confirmation of a basement fire and command tells firefighters to use caution.

An additional two engines and a ladder were requested.

Later there is a report of a person possibly trapped in the basement. Command tells Rescue 1 Portable there was what sounded like someone pounding on the door in the basement.

At about 4:09 AM, Command gave the following report:

Twenty minutes into 1815 Genesee Street. Two-story ordinary. We are now operating three, inch and three quarter lines. We are doing an agressive interior search. We still have a report of civilians trapped. We believe they may be in the basement. We are going to hold everybody we have including the two and one.

Command soon asks for the balance of the second alarm. There are reports of difficulty getting into a basement door and deteriorating conditions on the first floor.

Here is the report from Command at the thirty-minute mark:

Thirty minutes into 1815 Genesee Street. Still continuing to operate all hands. We will continue to hold the second alarm.

The mayday occurs a short time later after a discussion with Ladder 14 about progress on the basement door. As a number of units try to determine more about the mayday, Rescue 1 reports, "I believe I hear screaming in the front of the basement number one side."

Excerpts from The Buffalo News report by Gene Warner, Brian Meyer and Pete Simon:

Fire Commissioner Michael Lombardo fought back tears during the news conference, saying he knew both men and described them as "terrific firefighters" who both received honors for their work in the past.

The two firefighters' deaths represent the first multiple loss of life in the Buffalo Fire Department since five firefighters and two civilians were killed in a propane explosion on North Division Street in December 1983.

The building that burned this morning at 1815 Genesee Street. Click the image for the Google Maps Street View.

Ehmed Mallahi said based on what he observed shortly after the fire broke out, he thinks the building was unoccupied at the time.

"It's a shame they risked lives, because I don't think there was anyone in there at the time," Mallahi said. However, another neighbor who lived upstairs from the deli, Hamood Abdulla, said he heard what appeared to a burglar alarm. He went outside, didn't see anything, called the owner and later smelled smoke. That's when he called 911.

Meanwhile, a passerby came by and yelled, "Does anybody need help?" according to Abdulla.

"Somebody from inside said, "Help me,'" he added. "He kept saying, "Help me.'"

While those reports appeared to conflict, it's possible both accounts are accurate, that a civilian — possibly a burglar — was inside the building but fled before firefighters arrived at the scene.

Earlier report with video of fire.

Buffalo Fire Commissioner Michael Lombardo confirms firefighters are missing.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 7:20 AM