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WORCESTER (WBZ-AM) -- A memorial is growing outside the Webster Square Fire Station for a firefighter who died fighting a five-alarm blaze early Sunday morning.
Christopher Roy, 36, was trapped inside the three-story building and succumbed to his injuries after being freed. Roy had been a Worcester firefighter for two and a half years.
Roy's body was transported from UMass Memorial Medical Center to the Chief Medical Examiner's Office in Boston at 10 a.m. Monday for an autopsy.
Members of the Boston Fire Department stand shoulder to shoulder outside the Commonwealth's Medical Examiner Office on Albany Street in Boston on December 10 awaiting to receive the body of fallen Worcester Firefighter Christopher Roy. Roy died while fighting a fire in Worcester on December 9. Credit: Mike Macklin/WBZ NewsRadio
A solemn somber atmosphere could be seen outside the Medical Examiner's office has a dozen of firefighters from the Boston Fire Department stood shoulder to shoulder to salute their fallen comrade.
Richard Paris, President of the Boston Firefighters Union tells WBZ NewsRadio that Worcester's loss is felt by firefighters everywhere.
"They're hurting — they are probably still in shock and in what they have right now is they have to bury a brother firefighter and that's hard to do. So when this is all said and done like every funeral you sit back and you go like "wow it hits you'...it's tough' especially at this time of the year....it's just tough" he said.
According to Paris firefighters are members of a close-knit community. They serve together and together help shoulder the burden of this burden of this loss.
Though he was a firefighter in Worcester, he lived in Shrewsbury. Rep. Hannah Kane, the state representative for that town, spoke to WBZ NewsRadio's Ben Parker about the heavy loss.
"In addition to this being a huge loss for Worcester again in the sad month of December, it's also a huge loss for Shrewsbury, and the outpouring was really quick," she said.
Gov. Charlie Baker ordered flags lowered to half staff across the state.
Roy leaves behind an eight-year-old daughter, who Rep. Kane said will be looked after and comforted.
"Making sure that when students come in, they understand to the degree that they can at this young age--Christopher's daughter was a fourth grader--what has happened to her dad, and to make sure that there are folks there who can comfort them," she said.
Calling hours For Roy will be held at St. John’s Catholic Church, 4 Temple St., from 4-8 p.m. on Friday December 14. Funeral services will be Saturday December 15, at 10 a.m. at St. John’s. Burial will follow, at Notre Dame Cemetery on Webster Street.
WBZ NewsRadio's Ben Parker (@radiobenparker) reports