Saturday February 19th 2005-1003 hours. 

It pains my heart greatly to have to be writing these words.

We lost a brother firefighter at a house fire earlier this morning. 

Captain Grady Burke died this am shortly after 6 at a house fire.  Captain Burke, age 39, is a resident of Texas City, Texas and was a firefighter there before he became a member of the Houston Fire Department.

Captain Burke is the 59th firefighter to die in the line of duty since Houston began it's paid department in 1895.

To Grady's family and friends:

I am very sorry for your loss. I have  been part of the memorial aspect of HFD's history for a very long time. However, that  does not make it easier for me to deal with a death of a Houston Firefighter.

I hope it will help that you have Houston's support and also the support of the Texas City Fire Department to help get you all through this time of crisis. 

Scott Mellott 

        Please sign the guestbook and send condolences to the Burke family.

NIOSH Report-Grady Burke