Natalie Orenstein, Carolyn Jones,John Coté, Chronicle Staff Writers
San Francisco Chronicle June 2, 2011 04:49 PM Copyright San Francisco Chronicle. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
(06-02) 16:49 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- A veteran San Francisco firefighter died Thursday while battling a house blaze, and a second is "fighting for his life" at a hospital, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said.
Lt. Vincent Perez, 48, died trying to extinguish a fire at a four-story home in Diamond Heights. Anthony Valerio, 53, is in critical condition at San Francisco General Hospital's intensive care unit with severe burns.
A third firefighter was treated and released for minor burns and smoke inhalation, Talmadge said. Her name was not released.
Perez was a San Francisco firefighter for 25 years. He was born and raised in the Mission District and Bernal Heights, and was known for his courage and sense of humor, firefighters union president Tom O'Connor said.
"He was always the first guy in a fire and the last guy out," O'Connor said. "He lightened up the mood at the firehouse ... He was a firefighter's firefighter."
Perez and the others were hurt during a "flashover," when the temperature in a room rises so high that its contents ignite spontaneously, said Mindy Talmadge, a spokeswoman for the Fire Department.
All three firefighters were found together in the home at 133 Berkeley Way. Perez and Valerio were unconscious and the third firefighter was able to walk out on her own, officials said.
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