Somber Crowd Gathers to Honor Houston Firefighters

Thousands of firefighters from across the country, many with badges shrouded in black, marched under arches of flags extending from ladder trucks as they filed into Houston's Reliant Stadium on Wednesday to honor four Houston firefighters killed last week in a massive hotel fire.

The service began with the victims' families processing in one by one as firefighters throughout the stadium stood and saluted them. As many as 40,000 people were expected to remember the four who died Friday -- the deadliest day in the Houston Fire Department's 118-year history.

Dozens of fire trucks and emergency services vehicles from New Orleans, Dallas and elsewhere formed a long procession on flag-lined streets leading to the stadium.

"This is what the firefighter family is all about," said Teresa Gonzales, whose husband is a 30-year Houston firefighter. "It's awesome they're doing this for the families (of the victims)."

Pictures of the four victims were on video screens in the cavernous stadium, normally home to the NFL's Houston Texans. Behind the stage, two fire trucks, ladders extended, held up a giant American flag. Similar trucks outside hoisted U.S. and Texas flags.

The names of the four were in lights on scrolling boards that ring the inside of the stadium.

Killed in the fire when the motel structure collapsed were Capt. Matthew Renaud, 35, who had been with the department for 11½ years; engineer operator Robert Bebee, 41, who joined the department almost 12 years ago; firefighter Robert Garner, 29, who joined the department 2½ years ago; and Anne Sullivan, 24, a probationary firefighter who had graduated in April from the Houston Fire Department Academy.

Representatives from each of their families, along with Houston Mayor Annise Parker, Fire Chief Terry Garrison and other fire officials, were speaking from a stage adorned with flowers. Garrison was to present to the grieving families flags that flew over the U.S. Capitol last Friday.

Opening and closing prayers were being led by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

Investigators at the scene of the five-alarm blaze at the Southwest Inn have said they are focusing on an attic and the kitchen area of a restaurant connected to the motel.

Deputy Chief Ed Arthur, who heads the department's arson division, said Tuesday he expected the physical examination of the rubble to take about 10 days but a report of the findings could take months.

"The investigation is dedicated to our heroes, our fallen firefighter friends," he said.

North Texas Firefighters Send Help

More than 200 off-duty North Texas firefighters will be in Houston on Wednesday to help staff the city's fire stations during a memorial for four firefighters killed in a motel fire last week.

"The fact that we can honor the memory of these firefighters by allowing their brothers and sisters down there to attend the services is significant for our folks as well," said Lt. Scott Clumpner with the Dallas Fire Fighters Association.

Dallas received similar assistance during the funeral services for two of its own.

"We've gone through this rather recently and to be able to help out and let the firefighters in Houston mourn because of the tragedy they've had with four firefighters and allow them to go to the service, it feels like we're helping out our own," Clumpner said.

One-hundred-seventy Dallas firefighters are assisting Houston, along with 56 from Fort Worth and eight from Carrollton.

NBC 5's Kevin Cokely also contributed to this story.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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