The Blog of Death

Les Waters

David "Les" Waters was the kind of firefighter who was well-respected by his men. He fought the fire at every fire, no matter what.

For almost 30 years, Mr. Waters rose through the ranks in Sacramento, from engineer to captain to battalion chief. After retiring in 1974, he helped organize the Pioneer Mutual Hook and Ladder Association, which is working toward building a firefighting museum.

Waters died Friday from Parkinson's disease. He was 84.