Unidentified Speaker 2

Ladder 200 to Ladder 2, answer me! I just went, oh, my God.

There's two more. The heavy black smoke was now pouring out of the storage lockers and into the stairway. It was forcing you back down the stairs. You know, you had to fight your way up. We almost got trapped in there. As a federal inquiry later confirmed, malfunctioning radios added to the confusion of the moment.

There's two more. The heavy black smoke was now pouring out of the storage lockers and into the stairway. It was forcing you back down the stairs. You know, you had to fight your way up. We almost got trapped in there. As a federal inquiry later confirmed, malfunctioning radios added to the confusion of the moment.

There's two more. The heavy black smoke was now pouring out of the storage lockers and into the stairway. It was forcing you back down the stairs. You know, you had to fight your way up. We almost got trapped in there. As a federal inquiry later confirmed, malfunctioning radios added to the confusion of the moment.

Now I was asking people every time they came down, what are conditions like up there? How bad is it getting up there? And when this very experienced lieutenant was coming down with his crew, and he said, Chief, we couldn't even make the third floor. That's when I knew it was time for a decision. I had approximately a dozen firefighters lined up, ready to go up.

Now I was asking people every time they came down, what are conditions like up there? How bad is it getting up there? And when this very experienced lieutenant was coming down with his crew, and he said, Chief, we couldn't even make the third floor. That's when I knew it was time for a decision. I had approximately a dozen firefighters lined up, ready to go up.

Now I was asking people every time they came down, what are conditions like up there? How bad is it getting up there? And when this very experienced lieutenant was coming down with his crew, and he said, Chief, we couldn't even make the third floor. That's when I knew it was time for a decision. I had approximately a dozen firefighters lined up, ready to go up.

I stood in the doorway at the base of that stairwell. I looked at them and I said, that's it, no more. Some of them started to get vocal and said, what do you mean? What do you mean? They're still up there. What do you mean no more? And that's when I said, look it, we've already lost four. We're not going to lose any more. Then McNamee called for an all out.

I stood in the doorway at the base of that stairwell. I looked at them and I said, that's it, no more. Some of them started to get vocal and said, what do you mean? What do you mean? They're still up there. What do you mean no more? And that's when I said, look it, we've already lost four. We're not going to lose any more. Then McNamee called for an all out.

I stood in the doorway at the base of that stairwell. I looked at them and I said, that's it, no more. Some of them started to get vocal and said, what do you mean? What do you mean? They're still up there. What do you mean no more? And that's when I said, look it, we've already lost four. We're not going to lose any more. Then McNamee called for an all out.

Somebody gets into every fire truck and starts giving successive short blasts of all the air horns. They hear this, they know it's bailout time.

Somebody gets into every fire truck and starts giving successive short blasts of all the air horns. They hear this, they know it's bailout time.

Somebody gets into every fire truck and starts giving successive short blasts of all the air horns. They hear this, they know it's bailout time.

What was your first reaction when the chief said? I burst into tears, but then I had to stop and physically restrain some of the men that were with me.

What was your first reaction when the chief said? I burst into tears, but then I had to stop and physically restrain some of the men that were with me.

What was your first reaction when the chief said? I burst into tears, but then I had to stop and physically restrain some of the men that were with me.

It was like somebody had collectively kicked them all in the stomach. They deflated, their shoulders slumped, their hands fell, their heads went down.

It was like somebody had collectively kicked them all in the stomach. They deflated, their shoulders slumped, their hands fell, their heads went down.

It was like somebody had collectively kicked them all in the stomach. They deflated, their shoulders slumped, their hands fell, their heads went down.

At that final call, the fire just blew right through the roof.