NEW YORK, NY August 28, 2006 —A second firefighter has died, following a three-alarm blaze yesterday at a Bronx discount store. WNYC’s Fred Mogul has more.

Lt. Howard Carpluk, a 20-year veteran of the FDNY, was pronounced dead today at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx. He had been in critical condition, after being one of five firefighters trapped in the basement when the first floor of the Mega 99 store collapsed. He and 25-year-old rookie firefighter Michael Reilly were the last two rescued, and both men went into cardiac arrest. Reilly died shortly afterward. He had only joined the department in July and was a US Marine Reserves sergeant who served in Iraq.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated. The property owner had three outstanding Buildings Department violations dating back to the early 1990s, but a fire department spokesman says so far none of them are believed to have contributed to the fire.

Three other firefighters remain hospitalized in serious condition.