Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

James B. Williams

Firefighter

On January 5th, James B. Williams, a career firefighter with FDNY, died from burns sustained during a 2-alarm fire rescue at an apartment building in Queens, New York. Unaware that the occupants of the apartment had already left, he and four other firefigthers were searching for victims and fighting the fire when they were engulfed in flames after breaking through a door.
photo of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial
James B. Williams was honored on the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland and was included in the USFA’s annual report Firefighter Fatalities in the United States.

Department information

New York City Fire Department
250 Livingston St.
Brooklyn, New York 11201

Chief: Stephen J. King III

Age: 38
Rank: Firefighter
Classification: Career
Incident date: January 5, 1996
Date of death: January 5, 1996
Cause of fatal injury: Exposure
Nature of fatal injury: Burns
Activity type: Search and Rescue
Emergency duty: Yes
Duty type: On-Scene Fire
Fixed property use: Residential

Last updated: January 10, 2018