Lt. Ed Walsh, 43, Mike Kennedy, 33, both Boston firefighters, killed, 18 injured, including 13 firefighters, after a nine-alarm fire at a building in the Back Bay area of Boston.

Two Boston firefighters died trying to extinguish a roaring nine-alarm fire in the Back Bay on Wednesday.

Lt. Ed Walsh, 43, of Engine 33, and Mike Kennedy, 33, of Ladder 15, were identified by the Boston Fire Department as the two firefighters who were killed battling the blaze at 298 Beacon Street.

There were 18 people injured by the blaze, including 13 firefighters, with injuries ranging from minor burns to broken bones.

The cause of death of the two firefighters is not known at this point.

"My heart goes out to the families of these two firefighters and the entire firefighting community of the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," said Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh at a press briefing.

Ed Walsh, who is unrelated to the mayor, was a married father of three kids, all under 10 years old, and a nine-year veteran of the department. He lived in West Roxbury.

Kennedy was single, a Marine veteran, and a six-year veteran of the department. He lived in Hyde Park.

Both worked out of the same firehouse on Boylston Street across from the Hynes Convention Center.

"It's a sad day for the city of Boston. Our hearts go out to the families. It's just a tragic day for everyone involved in this incident. Our prayers are with them," said Boston Fire Commissioner John Hasson.

Mayor Walsh called the two firefighters heroes.

"It makes me proud to be mayor of the city of Boston after watching how the men and women of the Boston Fire Department worked today. These two heroes ran into a burning building and got people out," said Walsh.

Rich Paris of the Boston Firefighters Union Local 718 said he knew both firefighters personally and was with Kennedy on Tuesday night.
"I am very proud of the firefighters today that worked hard. I am very proud of Firefighter Walsh and Firefighter Kennedy, great guys," said Paris.

Incident Commander Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Finn said the first call for the fire came in at 2:45 p.m. The strength of the fire escalated to a nine-alarm fire by 4 p.m.

"The fire escalated very quickly," said Finn.

Finn said that the fire was wind-driven, and the wind had a dramatic impact on the strength of the fire. "In 30 years, I have never seen a fire travel that fast, escalate that quickly and create such havoc in such a short time," said Finn.

The wind blowing in from the Charles River was a major factor in feeding the fire. The fire consumed the entire building, basement to roof, but it did not spread beyond the walls of the building because of a brick firewall.

Firefighters were evacuated from the building with a mayday call when the situation became too dangerous for personnel to remain inside the building. Efforts to suppress the fire continued from outside the building. Walsh and Kennedy were both found in the basement. An additional residential unit was located in the basement of the building, according to fire officials.

Finn said an explosive burst of air in the building, known as a backdraft, resulted in the call to get firefighters out of the building.

The building is a total loss, according to Finn.

The exact circumstances of the deaths of the two firefighters and the cause of the fire will be investigated in the coming days and weeks. The Suffolk County District Attorney's office is involved.

"The only thing suspicious was the rate of travel. The fire developed so quickly," said Finn.

A City Councilor said he believed there were nine units in the building. The Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services have set up at the Boston Public Library to help assist any families displaced by the fire.

Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, Boston Fire Commissioner John Hasson, Incident Commander and Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Finn, and Local 718 President Richard Paris brief the press on the circumstances around the 9-alarm Back Bay fire that killed two Boston firefighters on March 26, 2014.

The building is owned by the estate of Michael J. Callahan, according to records on file with the city. Callahan died in 2002. The only citation for the building was a minor one in 2012 when it was cited for improper storage of trash.