Worcester 6: Hundreds gather to remember firefighters killed in 1999 Cold Storage fire

WORCESTER, Mass. (WLNE) — Tuesday night was filled with grief and sadness as the Worcester community gathered for a ceremony to remember the six firefighters killed in the line of duty 25 years ago.

December 3, 1999 is a day that has left an everlasting handprint on the people of Massachusetts.

The “Worcester 6,” known as Lt. Thomas Spencer, Lt. James Lyons, Firefighter Timothy Jackson, Firefighter Paul Brotherton, Firefighter Jeremiah Lucey and Firefighter Joseph McGuirk were killed while trying to rescue two homeless people from a burning building.

Present day, it’s a time that people in the community gather to remember the lives lost in the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse fire.

A somber feeling filled the air Tuesday night while hundreds marched to the Franklin Street Fire Station, where the fire happened back in 1999.

Local first responders, officials, family and friends honored their loved ones while the dispatch call of that tragic night played aloud.

“We all knew someone, were related to someone, were a friend of a friend who was impacted by the lost of our heroes, it is Worcester after all,” Worcester Public Safety Committee Chair Kathleen Toomey said.

Every single year since the fire, the City of Worcester has vowed to never forget.

“As chair of public safety, I can tell you that every effort to learn what happened and make sure it doesn’t happened again is paramount,” Toomey said.