Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — Members of the Playa del Carmen fire department are mourning the loss of one of the own who died in combat Thursday. While battling flames of a two-story a property in the Ejidal neighborhood of Playa del Carmen, Commander Jesús Manuel Ortega of the H. Cuerpo de Bomberos de Solidaridad was rushed to hospital where he later died.
Manuel Ortega was part of the brigade that arrived to douse a massive fire that began inside a two-story property Thursday. The fire, which was reported on Avenida 120, spread very quickly, threatening other homes.
Firefighters arrived at the scene and spent the next three hours battling flames. At times, the firemen were overwhelmed by the force of the fire. Manuel Ortega is said to have suffered a heart incident while helping to put out the fire. He was taken to hospital, but died.