By Sandra Dibble
The San Diego Union-Tribune
TIJUANA, Mexico — For the first time since 1998, Tijuana is in mourning over the loss of a firefighter killed in the line of duty.
Joel Felix Ubach died under a crush of rubble on Monday, as he fought flames that consumed a residence in the community of Punta Bandera.
Two days later, his funeral procession brought hundreds of firefighters to the streets of downtown Tijuana on Wednesday morning, including members of the San Diego and National City Fire Departments, and representatives of Cal Fire. They walked in silence as fire engines carried Felix’s casket and colorful wreaths for the funeral Mass at San Francisco Catholic Church.
The tragedy struck Monday night when the 36-year-old sergeant and a fellow firefighter were preparing to enter a burning house off the coastal toll road to Rosarito Beach in the community of Punta Bandera.
Felix was standing by the side of the building when it collapsed, said Michael Kieley, binational liaison for the department. It took firefighters three hours to recover his body.
The companion had briefly stepped back to check on a line that had become stuck, Kieley said. He was injured, but survived.
Carlos Gopar Uribe, Tijuana’s fire chief, called Felix “a firefighter from the bottom of his heart, one of those who enjoyed and loved the job.”
One of 430 firefighters in the department, he worked out of Station 10 in Playas de Tijuana. His death came just hours after the department celebrated the opening of the city’s 17th fire station, which has now been named in his honor.
Felix followed protocol as he prepared to enter the building, Gopar said during a news conference. He blamed Felix’s death on a “poorly designed, poorly built” structure that was carrying too much weight for its frame. “I can tell you that the system didn’t fail, there was no lack of machinery or equipment,” Gopar said
Despiden con honores a Joel Félix Ubach, bombero caído hace dos días cuando sofocaban un incendio en Tijuana. pic.twitter.com/S9jPfI4gWN
— Notimex (@Notimex) December 1, 2016
A native of Mexicali, Felix was married and the father of two. He joined the fire department in 2002, and received numerous certifications that qualified him to work as a medic, a rescue diver, to handle hazardous materials and work in a helicopter, said Michael Kieley, the department’s bi-national liaison and a longtime friend.
“He was one of those guys that was always trying to teach himself more and more and more,” Kieley said.
Copyright 2016 The San Diego Union-Tribune