Colleagues salute as the hearse carrying Capt. Ted Hall passes (Los Angeles Times)
LOS ANGELES -- Hundreds of firefighters paused briefly Friday morning to remember two of their own who were killed fighting the Station Fire
A group of firefighters gathered at the fire's Hansen Dam command center to honor 47-year-old Capt. Tedmund "Ted" Hall, and 35-year-old firefighter Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones.
The two Los Angeles County firefighters were killed Sunday when their vehicle went over the side of the road near Mt. Gleason, just south of Acton.
A formal memorial is planned for 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12 at Dodger Stadium.
Hall and Quinones worked at the remote prison Camp 16 supervising inmates trained in wilderness protection.
State corrections officials said it appeared the two firefighters may have died while searching for an escape route for three corrections workers, other fire personnel and 55 inmates who rode out the fire inside the camp's dining hall as flames fiercely approached the area.
Hall and Quinones were repositioning their truck on the small path near the camp when for some unknown reason it plunged some 800 feet over the side of the road into a canyon.
It's believed the truck may have been overrun by fire prior to the accident.
After the fire passed, those inside Camp 16 made it down the mountain, suffering minor burns and smoke inhalation, officials said.
Hall, of San Bernardino County, was a 26-year veteran of the force. He is survived by his wife, two sons and his parents.
Quinones, of Palmdale, had been a county firefighter for eight years. He was expecting his first child with his wife, who is due in the next few weeks. He is also survived by his mother.
During an emotional news conference on the day of the crash, L.A. County Fire Deputy Chief Mike Bryant announced the tragedy, fighting back tears.
"We ask for your understanding, for your patience as we move through this difficult time, and please, prayers for the families of our two brothers that we lost," he said.
Governor Schwarzenegger joined in the sorrow.
"Our hearts are heavy as we are tragically reminded of the sacrifices our firefighters and their families make daily to keep us safe," Schwarzenegger said in a statement.
"This is a devastating day for firefighters everywhere, and Maria and I join all Californians in expressing our gratitude and sadness. Our hearts go out to their loved ones."
To Donate:
F&A Federal Credit Union Memorial Fund P.O. Box 30831 Los Angeles, Ca 90030-9972
http://www.fire.lacounty.gov
A group of firefighters gathered at the fire's Hansen Dam command center to honor 47-year-old Capt. Tedmund "Ted" Hall, and 35-year-old firefighter Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones.
The two Los Angeles County firefighters were killed Sunday when their vehicle went over the side of the road near Mt. Gleason, just south of Acton.
A formal memorial is planned for 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12 at Dodger Stadium.
Hall and Quinones worked at the remote prison Camp 16 supervising inmates trained in wilderness protection.
State corrections officials said it appeared the two firefighters may have died while searching for an escape route for three corrections workers, other fire personnel and 55 inmates who rode out the fire inside the camp's dining hall as flames fiercely approached the area.
Hall and Quinones were repositioning their truck on the small path near the camp when for some unknown reason it plunged some 800 feet over the side of the road into a canyon.
It's believed the truck may have been overrun by fire prior to the accident.
After the fire passed, those inside Camp 16 made it down the mountain, suffering minor burns and smoke inhalation, officials said.
Hall, of San Bernardino County, was a 26-year veteran of the force. He is survived by his wife, two sons and his parents.
Quinones, of Palmdale, had been a county firefighter for eight years. He was expecting his first child with his wife, who is due in the next few weeks. He is also survived by his mother.
During an emotional news conference on the day of the crash, L.A. County Fire Deputy Chief Mike Bryant announced the tragedy, fighting back tears.
"We ask for your understanding, for your patience as we move through this difficult time, and please, prayers for the families of our two brothers that we lost," he said.
Governor Schwarzenegger joined in the sorrow.
"Our hearts are heavy as we are tragically reminded of the sacrifices our firefighters and their families make daily to keep us safe," Schwarzenegger said in a statement.
"This is a devastating day for firefighters everywhere, and Maria and I join all Californians in expressing our gratitude and sadness. Our hearts go out to their loved ones."
To Donate:
F&A Federal Credit Union Memorial Fund P.O. Box 30831 Los Angeles, Ca 90030-9972
http://www.fire.lacounty.gov
