Dead firefighters honored in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Thousands of people packed Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles for a memorial service Saturday for two firefighters killed in the Station wildfire.

Fire Capt. Tedmund "Ted" Hall, 47, of San Bernardino County and Firefighter Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones, 34, of Palmdale have been the only casualties of the massive blaze, which continued to burn in the hills above Los Angeles during the service.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Vice President Joseph Biden joined uniformed firefighters and members of the public at the stadium, the Los Angeles Ties reported. The two-hour memorial ended with a flyby of eight firefighting helicopters.

Schwarzenegger told the crowd Hall and Quinones died saving the lives of their firefighting crew, including 55 prison inmates, CNN said. The two men drove off a cliff Aug. 30 searching for a route out after leaving the crew in a cinder-block building.

"Everyone reached safety, except Ted and Arnie," the governor said. "We are humbled by their courage."

The fire, first reported more than two weeks ago in the Angeles National Forest, was 84 percent contained Saturday.