At St. Patrick's Cathedral, firefighters in dress blues and white gloves escorted families to the pews for a memorial service, led by Mr. Bloomberg, to honor the 343 Fire Department employees killed on 9/11.

The number of New York City firefighters killed or seriously injured in the line of duty this year is the highest in at least a decade, fire officials said yesterday.

His guys - the 343 firefighters killed, 9 from his firehouse.

A firefighter killed his wife at home, then went to a firehouse and opened fire on his supervisors today, killing four department officials before being wounded in a shootout, the police said.

Five firefighters from Millwall and Poplar stations were killed, the largest single loss of life in the LFB since the Second World War.

Also among the 343 firefighters killed - there is that number - were two others who had once spent time at Engine 226.

Two firefighters were killed, Michael C. Reilly, 25, a rookie nozzle man, and Lt. Howard J. Carpluk Jr., 43, a 20-year veteran.

Chief Marrone's firefighters were trying to stop one of the three largest wildfires that have consumed vast parts of Southern California since Thursday, destroying more than 900 structures and killing at least 14 people.

An apartment fire in the Bronx that firefighters quickly brought under control early yesterday killed a 5-year-old girl and left her sister and father critically burned, the police said.

They are vacationing in Hawaii along with 600 family members of police officers, firefighters and rescue workers killed or injured that day, their trip courtesy of the state and its tourism industry.