Sad Day For Texas Firefighters

From the Eagle: The flag outside the charred and crumbled Knights of Columbus Hall on Groesbeck Street flies at half-mast.
Bryan firefighters lowered it before they left.Their department joined the rest of the city on Saturday in mourning the loss of two veteran firefighters who died and praying for two others who were critically injured after the roof of the 68-year-old K of C Hall collapsed as they battled a blaze on the property near downtown.
Lt. Eric Wallace, 36, a 13-year veteran of the department, was transported to St. Joseph Hospital, where he died of injuries sustained at the scene.
Lt. Greg Pickard, 54, who had been with department for 32 years, died later at a Galveston hospital, where he and two other injured firefighters had been flown.
Firefighter Ricky D. Mantey Jr., 30, and probationary firefighter Mitchel Moran, 21, were reported to be in critical condition late Saturday at the University of Texas Medical Branch Blocker Burn Unit in Galveston.
Mantey has been with the department for five years; Moran for just 10 months. Officials reported the men were being treated for "serious" burns....
The fire was reported by a passerby at about 11:19 p.m. Friday. By dawn, only three red brick walls and the concrete foundation of the hall were standing.
Members of the Knights of Columbus believe the blaze originated near the kitchen, but fire department officials would not speculate Saturday on the origin of the fire.
Investigators said they believe the building was empty when the fire started.
Units from fire stations 1 and 5 in Bryan originally responded to the blaze. Units from the College Station Fire Department and some Brazos County volunteer firefighters later joined them.
McGregor said Wallace was one of two firefighters who entered the structure. Officials later confirmed that Wallace and the other firefighter were clearing the building to ensure no one was inside.
While inside the hall, the firefighters radioed that they were low on air and needed assistance, McGregor said.
They were ordered to evacuate the building, he said, but Wallace remained inside. The fire department then deployed a rapid intervention team, composed of Pickard, Mantey and Moran, to rescue Wallace, McGregor said. The response team was able to locate Wallace, officials said, and had gotten him almost to the door.
A second response team was deployed to extract Wallace and assist the first team, officials said. It is unclear at what point the roof collapsed.  http://www.theeagle.com/news/local/article_b52e1cb3-72f9-5f43-a934-278eb6c96b1d.html
It's always sad when firefighters die just doing their job.  RIP gentlemen nd prayers to ntheir, friends and members of the Bryan Fire Dept.