Expand / Collapse search
☰

St. Paul duo named ‘Firefighter of the Year’ for house fire response

By
Published  November 7, 2024 9:26pm CST
St. Paul
FOX 9

St. Paul firefighters honored with award

Two firefighters from the St. Paul Fire Department have received a prestigious honor for their efforts during response to a house fire in January.

The Brief

    • Two St. Paul firefighters are being honored with the "Firefighter of the Year" award.
    • Jacob Ryks and Mason Conlin helped pull people from a burning home within the city last January.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Two St. Paul firefighters are being honored as "Firefighter of the Year" for their heroic actions to save a family from a deadly blaze.

What happened

Earlier this year, a house fire broke out on St. Paul’s east side claiming four young lives.

On Thursday, the firefighters, who rushed into the house multiple times giving the victims a chance at survival, were honored.

‘Lasting bond’

For Firefighters Jacob Ryks and Mason Conlin, a call on Jan. 3 was one that would create a lasting bond between them, the victims, and the community forever.

"I’m just a guy who came to work prepared to do my job," Ryks told FOX 9.

"Most other jobs you can just kind of, you leave work, and you’re done with work, but this one is kind of life, it’s all of you," Conlin told FOX 9.

When they arrived at the scene, the house on Arkwright Street in St. Paul was engulfed in flames, with a mother and her six young children trapped inside.

St. Paul Fire Chief Butch Inks described how Ryks and Conlin rushed back into the burning house repeatedly.

"Unfortunately, we lost a significant number of lives in that fire," said Inks. "We also saved a significant number of lives."

Honored for bravery

The Minnesota 100 Club presented Ryks and Conlin the honor of being named Firefighter of the Year for their bravery and going beyond the call of duty.

"Each time they emerged, they carried an unconscious child, passing the victims to waiting EMS providers before plunging back into the smoke-filled home giving these young children the best possible chance for survival," said Julie Gotham, Executive Director of MN 100 Club.

Ryks and Conlin said they were simply doing their jobs, and recognized everyone who helped fight for the victim’s lives.

"This isn’t my award. This is the award for everyone that was there that day," said Ryks. "It’s an award for everyone in the ER and ICU, I’m holding it, but it’s all of ours."

The award required a statewide nomination of firefighters and a vote.