A year ago, the Stockton Fire Department lost one of its crew members in the line of duty when responding to a fire at Aurora and Washington streets in Stockton.
It was an early Monday morning, Jan. 31, when Stockton Engine 2 responded to a call of a dumpster fire at 4:45 a.m. at Aurora and Washington streets. While working the fire, Stockton Fire Capt. Vidal "Max" Fortuna was shot. He was taken to an area hospital. Fortuna later died from his injuries.
Fortuna's peers remembered him at a private memorial on Tuesday.
The Stockton Fire Department is building a firefighter memorial at Company 6 Victory Park. Officials anticipated completing the project by the end of January, but because of the storms that battered California, they are facing delays.