Anniversary of A. J. Fiorenza's death is Friday; Observance set for 8:30 a.m. at West 8th station

It was early on the morning of Monday, July 9, 1968 when the alarm sounded at what was then known as the Pleasant Hill Fire Station.

Capt. A.J. Fiorenza
(Photo from City of Bogalusa)

Firefighters rolled on the call to a structure fire in a two-story garage apartment in the 400 block of Lexington, led by 12-year veteran Capt. Anthony J. Fiorenza. Fiorenza, 40, had been promoted to captain just four days earlier.

Some 40 minutes later, at about 2:15 a.m., Fiorenza was dead.

On Friday, the 43rd anniversary of the fire, Bogalusa firefighters and members of the community will pause to honor Fiorenza's memory — the only firefighter to die in the line of duty in the department's history.

"We'll gather at 8:30," Bogalusa Fire Chief Richard Moody told wpnewsblog. "We'll gather at the statue at the station (Fiorenza Memorial on West 8th) and honor his memory."

On July 8, 2004, the city officially memorialized Fiorenza with the renaming of the Pleasant Hill Station, which he commanded, as the Anthony J. Fiorenza Memorial Station.

At the time of the fire, Asst. Chief W. F. Raborn said the fire had been extinguished and that three firefighters — Fiorenza, Mickey Bynum and Floyd Knight — were inside the structure, working to ensure it was extinguished.

Fiorenza, who had just entered the structure ahead of Bynum and Knight, was well into the structure, which the owner said was used mostly for storage. Raborn said he shouted a warning as the structure started to collapse. Bynum and Knight, who were closer to the entrance, barely made it out. Fiorenza did not.

Fiorenza was in the middle of the building as the garage ceiling, floor of the upstairs apartment and the walls collapsed on him, burying him under the debris.

The fallen firefighter is remembered as a man who always had a smile on his face and a joke on his lips. "Capt. Tony" is remembered as a man who loved his job and worked hard to take care of his family and community.

On Friday, that community will honor the memory of one of its fallen heroes.

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)
(Reader news tip story)