BOSTON (AP) – George Hines heard the sirens of fire trucks outside his West Roxbury home and turned on his emergency scanner to check on the commotion.

“They were calling for Ladder 25, and they couldn’t get an answer. They kept calling ‘Ladder 25, Ladder 25,”‘ Hines recalled Thursday as he gazed across a street toward a block of fire- and smoke-damaged small businesses roped off by fire investigators.

Two Boston firefighters perished Wednesday night when a fire at a neighborhood Chinese restaurant grew into a fast-moving inferno.

Investigators say the fire burned for an hour or more inside a drop ceiling where grease had accumulated before it was reported, as unaware diners ate and employees cooked. No employees or customers were injured.

Paul Cahill, 55, of Scituate, and Warren Payne, 53, of Canton, were killed. Cahill served on Engine 30 and Payne on Ladder 25, units housed at the same fire station just down the street from the restaurant.

Ten firefighters and a paramedic also were injured in the four-alarm fire at the one-story Tai Ho restaurant.

“The flames were coming out of everywhere, through the roof, out the windows,” said Hines, 72, who walked to the fire scene after listening to the scanner. “I saw three firefighters pull one guy out – just dragged him right through the flames. He was in bad shape, you could tell.”

Workers quickly evacuated the restaurant and called 911 about 9 p.m. when they first saw the fire.

But while the fire smoldered unnoticed in the ceiling crawl space, toxic and flammable gases collected, Fire Chief Kevin MacCurtain said, and what looked at first like a routine fire quickly turned deadly.

“When they started to extinguish the fire, something unexpected happened,” he said. “Very quickly and very suddenly the entire ceiling was blown down under force and a volume of fire was pushed down that had accumulated in that crawl space.”

The firefighters likely became disoriented and were unable to find their way out, he said.

The blaze spread to adjoining businesses in the row of yellow-brick storefronts, and at least four other stores were damaged. A 3-ton air conditioning unit fell partially through the roof, providing a burst of air to help fuel the blaze, authorities said.

Payne, a 19-year veteran, had two children and Cahill, a 14-year veteran, was a father of three. The causes of their deaths are still under investigation.

One firefighter remained hospitalized on Thursday, but was expected to be released today.

“We are all aware of the risks our public safety officers take to protect us and they always put our needs before their own, but that does make it any easier to accept the harsh reality we find ourselves in today,” Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said.

The last death of a Boston firefighter in the line of duty was on March 16, 1999, department spokesman Scott Salman said.

Gov. Deval Patrick ordered flags at all state buildings lowered in honor of the men. At their fire station, people in the neighborhood left bouquets of flowers and notes of condolence.

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox observed a moment of silence before their game in the Bronx on Thursday afternoon, paying tribute to Cahill, Payne and two New York firefighters who died in a fire at a ground zero skyscraper earlier this month.

“Last night brought tragedy to the city of Boston and the entire commonwealth,” the governor said in a statement. “Let us acknowledge the sacrifices made last night and every day by the men and women who work to ensure public safety.”