Sacramento ceremony set for fallen today in Capitol Park.

Honors for firemen

Sacramento ceremony set for fallen

Stacia Glenn, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 09/28/2007 11:10:02 PM PDT

It's been a tragic year for the state's firefighting family.

Fifteen firefighters, including five from the U.S. Forest Service who battled the Esperanza blaze, have died in the line of duty over the last year.

Their names, and those of 14 others who died in previous years, will be added to the California Firefighters Memorial in Sacramento today.

"We want to honor what firefighters do every single day," said Carroll Wills, spokesman for the California Professional Firefighters. "They put their gear on and answer the alarm knowing it could be the last alarm they answer. That dedication, commitment and courage deserve to be recognized."

This is the first year in firefighters' memories where separate blazes have claimed multiple lives. The Esperanza Fire was the first, followed by a blaze that killed two Contra Costa County firemen - Capt. Matt Burton, 35, and Engineer Scott Desmond, 37 - who were trying to save an elderly couple from their burning home in June.

During the Esperanza Fire, the crew of Engine 57 was overtaken by 100-foot flames on Oct. 26, as they defended a home in Twin Pines.

Capt. Mark Loutzenhiser, 43, of Idyllwild; Jason McKay, 27, of Apple Valley; Jess McLean,27, of Beaumont; and Daniel Hoover-Najera, 20, of San Jacinto died while standing their ground in front of the house.

Pablo Cerda, 23, of Fountain Valley died Oct. 31 after he was taken off life support.

There will be 29 names added today to the memorial in Capitol Park. Hundreds of uniformed firefighters are expected to attend the ceremony, which will include a reading of the fallen firefighters' names, a speech by Sen. Barbara Boxer, a presentation of flags to their families and a ringing of the "last alarm."

The memorial was unveiled in 2002 and 855 names were added, listing all those who died in the line of duty since California became a state. The first name etched in the marble was James Welsh of San Francisco, who died in 1851.

"This is the one spot in California where the people of California can come see the meaning of sacrifice," said Lou Paulson, president of the California Professional Firefighters and a Contra Costa County firefighter. "This is the one spot where we as firefighters can come to remember our losses, our brothers and sisters we've worked with and come to know and love."

There are more than 1,000 names on the memorial.

The five firefighters who died battling the Esperanza Fire will also be honored at National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend on Oct. 6 and 7 in Emmitsburg, Md.

American flags on all federal buildings will be lowered to half staff on Oct. 7 to honor the fallen firefighters.