Richard Montoya, the Denver firefighter battling for his life in a hospital intensive-care unit, has spent his career helping others.
That includes Sunday morning, when he was injured fighting a fire engulfing a grandmother’s house in north Denver.
“Here is a guy who has resolve,” said Denver Fire Lt. Phil Champagne. “He is very capable and a real physical asset to the department.”
Now, his fellow firefighters, family members and others have committed to helping him.
All day Sunday, firefighters came and went at Denver Health Medical Center. They were somber, some with their heads down and tears in their eyes. At about noon, a large ladder truck rolled up to the emergency entrance. Five firefighters got out and took prepared meals inside.
The group Hearts of Fire, made up of the families of Denver firefighters, also will also help with meals for Montoya’s family.
“You could see the utter devastation in the faces of the families,” Champagne said.
Montoya comes from a family of public servants. His stepson, who was at Montoya’s bedside Sunday along with Montoya’s wife and other family members, also is a Denver firefighter.
“He has family that are deputy sheriffs and police officers,” Denver Manager of Safety Al LaCabe said.
Montoya grew up on a 1,000-acre ranch in New Mexico with three brothers and five sisters, Champagne said. His family then moved to Trinidad, where the majority of his family members still live. Many of them drove to Denver on Sunday morning to be with Montoya.
Montoya is a military veteran who served in the Navy, Champagne said. He joined the Fire Department in 1976.
Throughout his career, he has worked hard to stay in shape by lifting weights and playing sports, said Fire Chief Larry Trujillo, who lives six blocks from Montoya. Others said there was no question that Montoya, with about two months to retirement, was fit for the job.
“He is 61 and in impeccable condition,” Champagne said. “He always wanted to be busy.”
Montoya’s northwest Denver home, a beige brick bungalow with a large two-story expansion in back, sits on a quiet street lined with leafy trees and chattering birds. On Sunday, the morning newspaper lay out front, untouched.
Neighbors said Montoya liked to work on his lawn and was friendly.
“He was a real quiet guy,” said Andy Sandoval, who lives next door.
Trujillo described Montoya as churchgoing.
Following the accident, Montoya’s co-workers at Fire Station No. 9, on Brighton Boulevard, were taken off duty so they could keep vigil at the hospital.
It was expected to be a long night.
“A lot of people are taking this really hard,” Trujillo said.
Staff writer John Ingold can be reached at 720-929-0898 or jingold@denverpost.com.
Staff writer Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-820-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
