25 years ago, the Worcester Six lost their lives battling a warehouse fire

Worcester firefighters honored the men — known as the Worcester Six — who lost their lives responding to a warehouse fire 25 years ago with a memorial ceremony Tuesday.

The annual ceremony was held in the evening at the site of the tragedy, which now houses the Franklin Street Fire Station.

Ahead of the event, Worcester District Fire Chief Gary Fleischer said it's important to tell the story of what happened that day.

"We don't want anyone to forget the legacy that they left behind," he said Monday, "and how they died doing what they love and attempting to save the lives of a couple of other citizens from the city of Worcester.

The fire broke out at the vacant Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse on Dec. 3, 1999, just after 6 p.m. Firefighters entered the building to rescue people they thought were inside. Officials later found those inside the building had escaped. The rescuers became disoriented in an unfamiliar building without any windows to guide them.

The investigation into what happened led to new protocols to prevent firefighters from getting lost in burning buildings. As WBUR previously reported, those included using high-powered lights, thermal imaging cameras and ropes connected to entry points.

Fleischer added the tragedy spurred departments across the country to upgrade firefighter safety and survival trainings. It also prompted fire officials to conduct hazard inspections of large vacant buildings.

Tuesday night's ceremony honored the late lieutenants Thomas Spencer, Timothy Jackson and James Lyons, and late firefighters Paul Brotherton, Jeremiah Lucey and Joseph McGuirk.

Beginning just before 6 p.m., Worcester firefighters and other public safety officials marched to the site of the fire, led by the Worcester Fire Brigade Pipes & Drums band. Officials laid a wreath in honor of each firefighter who died. The event featured a 21-gun salute.

Fleischer said attendees also would hear the "striking" or pulling of a fire alarm box in memory of the fallen firefighters. The box rung that night 25 years ago was Box #1438, for the corner of Franklin and Arctic streets. At the memorial, officials listed the companies that responded to the call.

At nearby Union Station in Worcester, a pop-up exhibit on display through Wednesday tells the story of the fire and the Worcester Six.

With reporting by WBUR's Fausto Menard.