Wake, funeral details released for fallen FDNY firefighter Timothy Klein
Firefighter Klein was a parishioner of St. Francis de Sales Church and a lifelong Rockaways resident
CANARSIE, Brooklyn (WABC) -- The funeral for fallen FDNY Firefighter Timothy Klein will take place on Friday in Belle Harbor, Queens.
The ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. at St. Francis de Sales Church on Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Associate Pastor Fr. Jim Cunningham said.
A pair of wakes will be held Thursday, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the McManus Funeral Home on Avenue N in Brooklyn.
The firefighter recently bought a house a block from the church where he grew up. His 92-year-old grandmother still attends mass daily. Klein has come full circle, but tragically too soon.
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Meanwhile, the FDNY is using a drone to gather evidence from the fire building to determine a cause, as portions are too structurally unstable to enter.
Flags flew at half staff Monday as New York City and the FDNY mourned the 31-year-old firefighter, who was killed while battling a fire in Canarsie, Brooklyn, over the weekend.
Klein's body was escorted from Brookdale Hospital to a funeral home in Brooklyn Monday evening. Along the route, there was a solemn bouquet of honor and respect in the city that has lost another of its bravest.
A ceiling collapsed as firefighters battled the third alarm blaze, trapping Klein and sending other firefighters scrambling to safety.
Several people jumped out windows to escape the flames and smoke, and the remains of another person -- identified as 21-year-old Carlos Richards -- were also found in the fire-ravaged structure.
Richards' sister, Chloe Richards, posted a statement on a GoFundMe page established to raise money for funeral expenses.
"Carlos was a light in our lives," she wrote. "He loved horse racing, listening to music, dancing with his family, religiously watched wrestling, and travelled the world. His smile is unforgettable and will stay with us forever. My brother is not just a casualty of a fire or a footnote in an article. He was a person who was deeply loved and loved everyone the same. He gave the greatest hugs and would send voice notes asking if we were okay and how our day was. He was our whole life and he will be missed.
Klein, a six-year FDNY veteran and the son of a retired firefighter, was trapped in the collapse shortly after the home at 108-26 Avenue N went up in flames around 1:40 p.m. Sunday.
"Timmy understood the risks, we all do, growing up in a firefighter family," cousin Keith Klein said. "Timmy leaves behind his parents who adored him, three younger sisters who idolized him, a beautiful girlfriend was devastated, understandably. Countless uncles, aunts, cousins, and childhood friends. It's quite a loss."
Klein was on the second floor with three other firefighters when the floor gave way. The other firefighters managed to jump to safety out windows or down ladders, but Klein was unable to escape.
"The incident commander identified deteriorating conditions and ordered all members out of the building," acting FDNY commissioner Laura Kavanagh said at Brookdale University Hospital, where Klein was pronounced dead. "As they were doing so, there was a partial collapse of the ceiling. Four members were caught in that collapse. Three made it out and are stable in local hospitals at this time."
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As for Richards, a police dog detected the human remains in the rubble, and although the building was unstable, firefighters were able to retrieve the body.
Richards was a resident with autism who was unaccounted for in the fire and reported missing by relatives.
Klein is the second FDNY firefighter to die in the line of duty this year, and he is the 1,157th member of the FDNY to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Bunting now hangs at Ladder 170, Engine Company 257 in his honor.
Jesse Gerhard, 33, died February 16 when he collapsed at his firehouse just one day after battling a house fire in Far Rockaway, Queens.
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