Newark firefighters killed in cargo vessel fire identified as Augusto Acabou and Wayne Brooks Jr.
NEWARK, N.J. -- The two firefighters who lost their lives in the Newark ship fire Wednesday have been identified.
CBS New York has learned 45-year-old Augusto Acabou and 49-year-old Wayne Brooks Jr. worked out of Engine 16 in the city's East section.
Gov. Phil Murphy has ordered United States and New Jersey flags to fly at half-staff on Friday.
Acabou and Brooks were longtime members of the fire department.
"We just lost two of our best here in the city of Newark," Mayor Ras Baraka said.
Watch Kristie Keleshian's report
Two of the mayday calls Wednesday night came in while crews battled the deadly flames across the 10th to 12th floors of the cargo vessel. One came from Acabou, a nine-year veteran, and the other from Brooks, who had been with the department for 16 years.
Just hours before, Newark Fire Chief Rufus Jackson spoke to the company about safety as he conducted routine specialized equipment inspections.
"So many memories, so many memories. They made my job a lot easier when I was a tour commander because I had dedicated, committed firefighters like that, that where we did have incidents, they easily mitigated it," Jackson said.
Throughout the day, the Engine 16 firehouse was showered with love and support through flowers and even food for the firefighters there.
"I enjoyed working with them both, and Newark definitely took a big hit today, losing them," Newark firefighter Stephen Alves said. "[Brooks] actually relieves me in the morning at my previous firehouse. He always mentioned how he admires much I know, being well-rounded."
"Brooks is a big guy, always smiling, such a sweetheart. Would not pass by you without saying hello or giving you a handshake," said Captain Jose Alves, with Engine 16 Newark.
Brooks' truck now sits empty in Ladder 4, and across the street, his favorite restaurant sits a little quieter.
"He would come in here, order his two sandwiches and his coffee with his partner, and they would go to the firehouse. Every time we saw each other, 'Hey, what's up, man? Be safe out there,'" Pregunho owner Jason Torres said. "You don't know that's the last time you're saying hi to somebody."
Brooks was known as "Bear." To friends, he was a teddy bear.
"Everyone's gonna say the same thing -- loving guy, probably the nicest guy you'll ever meet," Torres said.
The Newark Firefighters Union president issued a statement saying in part, "The Acabou and Brooks families are part of our family; we will mourn together and hold them tight."
Jose Alves says his mind went blank when he heard the news of their passing.
"I just went into a blank, I didn't even... you know, get emotional, cry for them, you know these people very well and it's gonna be a long road for everybody," he said.
Jose Alves has spent nearly 30 years in the Newark Fire Department, enough time to get to know both.
"They're both beautiful people," he said. "They always want to make it 100% for me. For me to have a great 24-hour shift, 10-hour shift, 14-hour shift. You couldn't ask for better."
Watch Alecia Reid's report
Acabou would often be seen hard at work preparing for the captain's exam.
"We always spoke about taking the captain's test 'cause we took it together. We always spoke about it to comfort each other, on the difficulty ... It went back and forth," Stephen Alves said.
Both Acabou and Brooks were known to do well on the exam, with Acabou ending up 17th on the list of promotions to captain.
"When the promotions come, he will still be promoted in our mind," Jose Alves said.
At Acabou's Newark home Thursday, loved ones poured in to show their respects.
"He's a good soul and let he rest in peace. I just don't believe this," friend Hillary Kosofsky said. "He always had a smile on his face, always had a joke for you."
Before following his dream of becoming a firefighter, he started in the linen department at Hackensack JFK Medical Center before being promoted to security.
"We always felt safe with him there. We always felt safe. You always knew if you called Auggie, he'd be there, which is probably why his calling as a fireman came to be," Kosofsky said.
It's still too early in the investigation to report on what exactly happened to the two firefighters.
"My heart is so broken over this. So young and such a good person," Kosofsky said.
Crew members stood by and saluted as the two were brought to University Hospital on Wednesday night.
"That image will forever be stamped in my mind, of how dangerous this job is," Baraka said. "There are no words to describe the courage I saw. There are no words to describe out firefighters' passionate commitment to each other."
"We think and we hope that each day we go out that we return," Jackson said.
Crews from across the region, including the FDNY, were sent to the scene Wednesday. Other firefighters were seriously injured, including one who is still in critical condition, Jackson said.
"We have a total of five firefighters that were injured. One had burns to his feet. One with heat exhaustion. One with respiratory distress. Those were the three Newark firefighters," Jackson said.
The two other injured firefighters are from the Elizabeth Fire Department. They suffered from smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion.
The last time a firefighter died in the line of duty in Newark was in 2007.
