A prayer vigil was held Saturday afternoon for a New Haven firefighter recovering in the hospital following a fatal fire earlier this week.
Family, friends and neighbors all came together at Pitts Chapel Church to wish Lt. Samod Rankins a speedy recovery.
He, as well as firefighter Ricardo Torres Jr., were trapped in a house fire on Valley Street on Wednesday. Torres died from his injuries while Rankins suffered critical injuries.
Rankins, who was found unconscious in the house and was rushed to Bridgeport Hospital's burn unit, was upgraded from critical to fair condition Friday.
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"It's heartwarming to know that the community appreciates what you do for them, everybody showing up today and coming out, it's just very rewarding to know that it's not in vain," said Joe J. Davis, Rankins' great uncle.
There's still no word on what caused the fire.
