Southwest Inn Fire: Houston Fire Dept. reflects on deadliest day on 10-year anniversary
HOUSTON - Members of the Houston Fire Department (HFD) gathered Wednesday to mark a somber occasion, remembering the five firefighters' lives lost 10 years ago on what remains the department's deadliest day ever.
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The 5-alarm Southwest Inn fire is still considered the worst disaster in the history of the Houston Fire Department. On that fateful day, May 31, 2013, four firefighters from Stations 51 and 68 tragically lost their lives.
Southwest Inn Fire in May 2013 (File Photo)
The fallen heroes were Matt Renaud, Robert Bebee, Robert Garner, and Anne Sullivan. Additionally, another firefighter named Captain William "Iron Bill" Dowling passed away several years later due to complications related to his injuries sustained during the incident.
Chief Michael Mire, who served as the family assistance coordinator at the time, recalled the challenging tasks that needed to be undertaken following the tragedy.
"Recovering the bodies, identifying who in fact was missing, who was accounted for, who we had pulled out, ensuring we had the right identity, the right firefighters," he said. "Securing all of the evidence to ensure proper respect and protecting the integrity of the investigation to determine what happened."
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"I'd describe that day as chaotic, but it was also hurtful," Chief Mire continued.
Speaking about that day, Senior Captain Guadalupe Martinez described it as chaotic and deeply hurtful.
"It's not something I would wish on anybody," he said.
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At the fire stations where the fallen firefighters served, mementos and other tokens of remembrance still adorn the premises. Photographs serve as reminders of those who lost their lives and the events that transpired in May 2013.
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However, from the ashes of this tragedy, valuable lessons have emerged and are now shared with new firefighters. Efforts are ongoing as well to ensure that no other fire incident will ever surpass the magnitude of what occurred on that tragic day for the HFD.
"It is the worst day in the history of the Houston Fire Department," Chief Mire concluded. "There hasn't been one incident where that many firefighters were injured or killed. It truly was a fateful day, that's no different from New York firefighters who will never forget 9/11, I have no doubt that this city, this Fire Department will never forget May 31st."