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Battalion Chief James Scragg learned two things in the 1995 Pang
warehouse fire that killed four of his comrades, including a young
member of his own crew: Nothing is more important than the safety of the
people who work for you. And nothing about life is certain.
"Never for one second of one day did he take it for granted that he
would get tomorrow," said his wife, Stacey Baker. |
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Mr. Scragg, whom most people simply called
Jimmy, died Thursday (Jan. 17) of lung cancer, which he is presumed to
have developed because of his 30 years' fighting fires for the Seattle
Fire Department. He was 54.
Mr. Scragg was burned and barely survived the Pang warehouse fire of
Jan. 5, 1995, which was intentionally set by Martin Pang in an
insurance-fraud scheme. The four firefighters who died included Jim
Brown, 25, who was on Mr. Scragg's crew.
Mr. Scragg was one of the first into the building, and he knew something
was wrong when he saw a flash. He trained a hose on his crew as he and
crew members caught fire, Baker said.
"He used everything he had, crawled to concrete and made it to the
door," said Baker.
After the fire, Mr. Scragg was known for training and working his crew
members hard, but he worked himself harder, and firefighters lined up to
work for him.
James Herschel Scragg was born May 7, 1953, in Spokane. His father was
in the Air Force and the family moved frequently, but he spent much of
his youth in Olympia. He joined the Seattle Fire Department in 1978.
Battalion Chief Bryan Hastings, a longtime friend and colleague, said
Mr. Scragg was a "terrific leader" and a mentor to many. Hastings said
Mr. Scragg once saved him when a collapsing stairwell trapped them both.
"The best way I can sum him up, he's just one of those guys you could
always count on," Hastings said.
Mr. Scragg worked his way up the ranks of the department to eventually
head Battalion 5, which includes seven fire stations and the
department's Technical Rescue Team. He was also a founding member of the
local Urban Search and Rescue Team.
Even off the clock, Mr. Scragg read avidly to learn about new techniques
and equipment. He got frustrated when people didn't do their best, and
he "glowed with pride when they did a good job," Baker said.
Mr. Scragg also had a big personality, said Hastings. He was a goofball
who loved playing practical jokes, making irreverent comments and trying
unusual things.
He rode a skateboard to work way back in the 1970s, Baker said. And he
was an outdoorsman who loved windsurfing in the Columbia River Gorge,
where he eventually bought a home.
"His philosophy was you got to go get it, and that's just what he did,"
said Baker. "He maximized everything he did."
Mr. Scragg was first diagnosed with cancer about four years ago, but he
didn't tell his co-workers about it until the very end. "He didn't want
to talk about it because the disease was so not him," said Baker.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Scragg's survivors include a stepson, Mac
Place of Seattle; his mother, Mary Scragg of Lakewood; a brother, Keith
Scragg of West Seattle; and a niece, Desiree Scragg Wood of West
Seattle.
Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company, Reprinted with permission
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