Thousands of firefighters and civilians are expected at a ceremony Tuesday to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the tragedy.
WORCESTER — Actor Denis Leary, a Worcester native, is scheduled to attend a ceremony Tuesday to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. fire in which six firefighters lost their lives.
Lts. Thomas Spencer, James Lyons III and Timothy Jackson Sr., and firefighters Paul Brotherton, Jeremiah Lucey and Joseph McGuirk died Dec. 3, 1999, after rushing into the building believing there were people inside. Lucey was a cousin of Leary, and Spencer was a childhood friend.
Thousands of firefighters and civilians are expected at a ceremony Tuesday to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the tragedy. The ceremony begins at 6 p.m. with a march from Union Station to the Franklin Street station, which was built on the site of the fire. Firefighters from area departments are expected to line the route.
According to a city spokesman, Leary will join Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Mayor Joseph Petty, City Manager Edward Augustus, Worcester District Fire Chief Gary Fleischer and Worcester Fire Chief Michael Lavoie in the speaking portion of the ceremony.
The ceremony Tuesday is the first of several ceremonies that mark a difficult time for Worcester firefighters. The ceremonies also come as the city and Fire Department mourn the Nov. 13 death of Lt. Jason Menard.
Dec. 8 will mark the eighth anniversary of the death of firefighter Jon Davies Sr., who was trapped in a blaze in an Arlington Street triple-decker after the second floor collapsed. Davies served with Rescue Squad 1. A ceremony to mark the anniversary will be held at 6 p.m. on Dec. 8 at the Franklin Street fire station.
Dec. 9 will mark the one-year anniversary of the death of firefighter Christopher Roy, who succumbed to injuries suffered fighting a fire on Lowell Street. He was stationed at the Webster Square fire station, and a memorial ceremony for Roy will be held at 6 p.m. on Dec. 9 at the station. The remembrance will include the unveiling of a memorial to Roy, who lived in Shrewsbury.
