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Christopher George Yock

Firefighter

Firefighter Yock was assigned to a San Francisco Fire Department fire station located at the San Francisco International Airport. His regular assignment and his assignment on his last shift was to Rescue 48 (R48), a ladder or truck company. 

R48 responded to five emergency incidents during the shift. The first four were responses to automatic fire alarms in airport buildings. No fires or emergencies were found in response to these incidents.

At 6:15 a.m., R48 and other San Francisco Fire Department units were dispatched to a fire alarm on the 4th floor of a multi-story parking garage at the airport. A caller subsequently reported a vehicle fire at the scene spreading to other vehicles. Firefighters arrived to find a working fire.

R48 arrived on the scene, and they were ordered to set up the aerial ladder as a standpipe to the 4th floor. Access to the floor was limited by heat and smoke and the incident commander elected to advance hoselines from the ladder into the fire. Firefighter Yock assisted in setting up the aerial ladder and then ascended the ladder at least 2 times to bring hose and other equipment to the fire floor. Once at the fire floor, Firefighter Yock helped to attach the hoseline to the outlet on the ladder and then advanced the hoseline into the garage and helped to extinguish the fire.  

Eventually, 16 cars were destroyed in the fire and parts of the garage were damaged or destroyed. R48 left the scene at 9:08 a.m. and returned to the fire station. Firefighter Yock went off-duty a short time later. Later that same day, after his duties were completed, Firefighter Yock suffered a heart attack and passed away.


photo of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial
Christopher George Yock 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

San Francisco Fire Department
698 – 2nd ST
San Francisco, California 94107

Chief: Jeanine Nicholson

Age: 57
Rank: Firefighter
Classification: Career
Incident date: June 8, 2021 6:30 a.m.
Date of death: June 8, 2021
Cause of fatal injury: Stress/Overexertion
Nature of fatal injury: Heart Attack
Activity type: Advance Hose Lines/Fire Attack (includes Wildland)
Emergency duty: Yes
Duty type: On-Scene Fire
Fixed property use: Industry

Last updated: July 07, 2022