New York City firefighter Michael Davidson was one of three firefighters who died in blazes in New York and Pennsylvania on Thursday, sending shockwaves through the communities.
York, Pennsylvania, firefighters Ivan Flanscha, 50, and Zachary Anthony, 29, died after a wall of the Weaver Piano & Organ Co. building collapsed as they were working on hot spots from a fire that started the day before, the York Dispatch reported.
"This is the worst day in my career," York City Fire Chief David Michaels said, according to the Dispatch, adding that the department hadn't seen such a tragedy since 1971. "These are the guys you wanted in the fire truck."
Two other firefighters, Erik Swanson and Assistant Chief Greg Altland, sustained injuries that weren't life threatening.
Davidson, 37, was killed at a five-alarm fire on the set of the movie "Motherless Brooklyn" in Harlem, CNN said.
The fire started in the cellar of an unoccupied building after filming ended for the day. The fire spread quickly, forcing firefighters back out of the building, and Davidson got separated from the rest of the unit and was found unconcious, CNN said.
Davidson, a 15-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department, was cited for bravery on four separate occasions, the department said in a post on Facebook. He is survived by his wife, Eileen, and four children.
The firefighters were remembered on Twitter.
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