Interview with a firefighter:

Our Head Custodian, Wes Steria, is an interior firefighter on the West Carthage Fire Department. He was working the fire on the morning of March 2 and had a memorable experience that he shared a few days later. Because he has no idea who his partner inside Stefano's was, he agreed to share his memory with the public, hoping the firefighter with him will recognize himself in this account and get in touch with Wes.

Wes said that he arrived at the fire-scene at about 9:15. He went to the back of Stefano's parking lot where he got an air pack, went up a ladder, and waited his turn to enter the building. He explained how two men would come out and two men would go in. His partner was already at the window and Wes never saw his face (as they both already had their air packs on).
	When two firefighters came out, Wes and his partner went through the window and climbed to the third floor. They were shooting water at the ceiling when the power went out; Wes say that although the man in front of him was within arm's length, but he couldn't see him. He reached out, grabbed his partner's air pack, it was pitch black, then flames flashed over their heads and vanished right away.
Wes said he could suddenly feel heat through his turn-out gear and "stuff" started to fall on their heads. (He later realized this was debris shaken loose by the building next door falling down). There was another "flash-over" (intense flare of flame) and, in the dark, they realized that Roy Morgan (at the bottom of the stairwell) with a flashlight, had his face mask off and was shouting to the men inside of the building to get out. The air horn that sounds to signal that firefighters should evacuate a building had sounded, but the men inside Stefano's hadn't heard it over the crumbling of the structure next door.
	Wes said that Ray Gandia was on the second floor landing, and went through two groups of people to reach Wes and his partner to get them out of the building. That's when they realized that the building next door had collapsed. They came down the stairs between Stefano's and the ice-cream store next door. Wes says that he went one direction, and his partner went the other.
	Wes has a feeling the man may have been a member of the Calcium Fire Department - but where-ever he was from, Wes is hoping he will recognize their shared story and get in touch. If you are the firefighter, or know who he might be, you can get in touch with Wes by e-mailing me and I will see that Wes gets the message.