Chief White said that his members were particularly devastated by the firefighter deaths on Sept. 11.

For one thing, city officials said privately, admitting that a city policy caused firefighter deaths could invite litigation against the city.

His death came during a rash of firefighter deaths in the city; it was the 9th of 11 in a two-year period.

It was the first firefighter death in a series of fires that have killed at least 17 other people.

Most of the 2 million fires and 750 firefighter deaths in the city since 1865 were in the last 30 years, he said.

"One of the things being done is looking at whether or not the illegal construction was the cause of the firefighter deaths," one city official said.

Yet more than a third of the 343 firefighter deaths were in the north tower, even though it stood 29 minutes longer.

No other structural fire incident in Utah resulted in more firefighter deaths.

Eighteen percent of firefighter deaths occur while responding to calls.

This is very important because heart attacks due to stressful physical activity are a leading cause of firefighter deaths on the firelines.