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Porterville Fire Department Capt. Raymond Figueroa, left, and firefighter Patrick Jones appear in photos released by the agency on Feb. 19 2020.
Porterville Fire Department Capt. Raymond Figueroa, left, and firefighter Patrick Jones appear in photos released by the agency on Feb. 19 2020.

The two firefighters who perished battling a blaze that tore through a public library in Central California had rushed into the building to make sure that everyone else had gotten out safely, officials said Thursday.

Firefighter Patrick Jones, 25, and Fire Capt. Ray Figueroa, 35, were killed fighting the Porterville library fire, which erupted about 4:15 p.m. Tuesday.

After arriving on the scene, the two were “unable to confirm if all citizens had been able to exit the building” and rushed in to search, Tulare County Fire Capt. Joanne Bear told reporters Thursday. A “mayday” was called after that.

Figueroa was found and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Bear said. Jones was initially reported missing, but his body was later located in the charred structure, Porterville Fire Department officials said Wednesday night.

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