WORCESTER, MASS. (WHDH) - Funeral arrangements have been set for the Worcester fire lieutenant who died after “heroically and selflessly” saving his crew from a four-alarm blaze that engulfed a multi-family home hours before he was supposed to leave on a Disney vacation with his family.
Visiting hours for Lt. Jason Menard will be held at the Mercadante Funeral Home from 3 to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
His funeral will be held Monday morning at St. John’s Catholic Church, following a private family procession from the funeral home. Those attending the funeral are asked to go directly to the church.
Menard and his team entered a burning home at 7 Stockholm St. around 1 a.m. on Wednesday in search of a reported trapped resident and baby, according to Worcester Fire Chief Michael Lavoie.
The firefighters from Ladder 5 gained entry into the third floor, where they became trapped by raging flames.
A mayday was called in around 1:30 a.m. Ladder 5 was in need of help.
“Very hot up here,” one firefighter could be heard saying on scanner audio. “We need a ladder up here now,” another could be heard screaming.
The flames overtook the third floor and Menard was unable to escape, Lavoie said. His comrades couldn’t reach him.
“Lt. Menard heroically and selflessly saved his crew, helping a probationary firefighter to the stairs and then returning to rescue another trapped firefighter, assisting him out the window,” Lavoie said.
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Menard and three other firefighters were transported to UMass Medical Center, where Menard was pronounced dead. Two firefighters have since been released from the hospital, while the third remains in serious but stable condition.
Sources say the fire appears to be accidental and nothing suspicious but Worcester fire investigators along with ATF agents continuing to look through the scene.
The 39-year-old lieutenant, who had served on the Worcester Fire Department since 2010, leaves behind a wife and three children
“He was a passionate fire officer who absolutely loved being a firefighter,” Lavoie said. “He took his job very seriously, performed it admirably, and his dedication to the residents of Worcester was unwavering.”
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Menard’s death comes less than a year after the on-duty death of Worcester firefighter Christopher Roy and about a month before the 20th anniversary of the deaths of six Worcester firefighters in a warehouse blaze in December 1999.
In December 2011, firefighter Jon Davies Sr. died while battling a house fire.
Officials say they are expecting firefighters from across the country to attend Monday morning’s funeral.
The city of Worcester has set up a memorial fund in Menard’s honor to help support his family and three children.
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