Biographical Info

Age: 42

Additional Info: Lieutenant Howard Carpluk was a 20-year veteran of the New York Fire Department. He is survived by his wife, son and daughter.

Incident Details

Cause of Death: Carpluk died from injuries sustained fighting a three-alarm structure fire.

Date of Incident: August 27, 2006

Second firefighter dies after NYC fire

The Associated Press

NEW YORK- A second firefighter died Monday of injuries suffered when he and others were trapped in the basement of a burning discount store.

Lt. Howard Carpluk, 43, died a day after the blaze that also killed rookie firefighter Michael Reilly, 25, said assistant fire chief of operations Robert Sweeney.

"The loss of these two heroic firefighters will stay with all of us for the rest of our careers and the rest of our lives," Sweeney said.

Scores of firefighters were sent to the one-story building in the Bronx on Sunday and five were trapped in the basement when the ground floor collapsed, authorities said. Two of them remained hospitalized Monday in serious condition; the fifth was released.

Employees at the store had called 911 when smoke billowed from behind a refrigerator and they couldn't stop it with a fire extinguisher, authorities said.

It was the deadliest day for New York City firefighters since three were fatally injured at two separate fires on Jan. 23, 2005.