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Three firefighters who were killed in a building explosion on Father's Day two years ago were honored in a Queens street renaming ceremony on Sunday.
Bagpipers played "Amazing Grace" as the children of firefighters John Downing, Brian Fahey and Harry Ford unveiled the street signs renaming a two-block stretch of Astoria Boulevard after their fathers.
"Long before Sept. 11, 2001, firefighters were sacrificing for New Yorkers all around this city, and while the numbers may not have been as large, we know that the sacrifices were just as great," said Assemblyman Michael Gianaris, who represents the area.
The three firefighters were killed when a five-alarm blaze set off an explosion in the basement of a Queens hardware store where propane tanks and paint were stored.
Ford, 50, and Downing, 40, were killed when the building's roof and facade came crashing down on them. Fahey, 46, died after being trapped in the basement. They were survived by their wives and a total of eight children.
In response to the Father's Day tragedy, the City Council passed legislation making it illegal to store flammable materials in a basement without sprinklers, Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. said Sunday.
"Still today, New York City is trying to do what it can do to honor the memories of these fine men," Vallone said.
About 200 firefighters, friends and family members attended the ceremony.
"It's just beautiful to see the amount of men who would give up their Father's Day to honor my husband," said Fahey's widow, Mary Fahey. "It's just beautiful, and it's touching."
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