St. Paul firefighters honored for efforts to save children in house fire that claimed 4 young lives

St. Paul firefighters Jacob Ryks and Mason Conlin had just met on Jan. 3, when they responded to a 1:30 a.m. distress call on the city’s East Side.

They came upon a house in the 1200 block of Arkwright Street N. engulfed in flames. Trapped inside on the main floor were a young mother and her six children, all of the kids under 6 years old.

In a call that would bond the pair for the rest of their lives, they acted on training and instinct, rushing into the heavy smoke, intense heat and zero visibility over and over to carry out five of the unconscious children to waiting medics.

Four of the children would eventually succumb to their injuries, but there’s little doubt that the bravery of Ryks and Conlin prevented further tragedy amid one of the most deadly and devastating fires in the city’s history.

“All the years of training and the long hours, and the weekends away for training, even if I never do it again, it was all worth it for [that] day,” Ryks said. “Because all that time has finally paid for itself in the ability to offer [it] to this family.”

Ryks, 32, and Conlin, 22, recalled that fateful day on Thursday when they were honored as Fire First Responders of the Year by the Minnesota 100 Club, an organization dedicated to supporting family members of first responders seriously injured or killed in the line of duty.

The award, presented by the 100 Club after nominations and statewide votes, recognizes firefighters who go beyond the call of duty. Ryks and Conlin said it felt surreal to be honored for simply doing their jobs that day. But St. Paul Fire Department Chief Butch Inks said their work was exceptional, reminding the public that many firefighters avoid being praised in public.

“This is not normal for us to be recognized. It’s not why we come to work,” Inks said. “They went back again, and again, and again. That, to me, is truly above and beyond what any of us would normally have happen in our career, so it’s very important to recognize and acknowledge and celebrate your actions that day.”

Investigators believe an unattended candle started that January blaze, devastating Pa Cheng Vang’s family and community members who mourned for his deceased children. Vang was at work at the time of the fire. Twin daughters Ntshiab Si and Siv Ntshiab, 5, and 4-year-old son Mauj Tshau Ntuj and 1-year-old Mauj CagTxuj Vaj died as a result of the blaze. The survivors were 6-year-old Cag Kub Vaj, 6, and 3-year-old Hnub Qub Vaj, along with their mother, Ker Lor.

Mayor Melvin Carter worked with Lor when she interned at his office years ago. Carter said visits to meet their children in the hospital were gut-wrenching, but he felt inspired when Vang asked him to spread awareness so that fewer families suffer like his.

“[That was] very much a defining moment for our city, very much a defining moment for me, and very much a defining moment for the St. Paul Fire Department,” Carter said, thanking Ryks and Conlin. “Our first responders are the ones who run into a situation when everybody else is running away. It sounds just like a sentence until you find yourself in the position that you two were in on Jan. 3. ... But not only did you choose to go back in on that night, but you choose to go back in, every day, on behalf of our community.”

Ryks and Conlin are now close friends. They sometimes talk to Vang and his family and took them gifts earlier this year. Fire department union officials also announced plans to donate $10,000 to the family.

When Conlin thinks back to the fire, he feels thankful that his training prepared him to help Vang’s family and others. He has been with the department for 1 ½ years, while Ryks has 5 ½ years of service.

“I remember after the call, I had an overwhelming sense of, ‘Wow, I was prepared for that.’ I didn’t feel like I didn’t know what I was doing. It was an extremely, honestly overwhelming, circumstance, but it’s our job and we all knew what to do,” Conlin said.

Ryks hopes the fire response proves that residents can feel secure knowing department officials are equipped and ready to help when needed.

“Every muscle that we [the department] have was flexed, and that is how we had the outcome that we had. Because every single person did something that is extraordinary,” Ryks said. “If your house is on fire and you’re trapped, we’re coming. We’re on our way, and we’re going to do everything we possibly can to give you the best chance in that situation.”