Houston (CNN) -- When Joshua Gandara heard his cousin, Houston firefighter Robert Bebee, had died suddenly, he instinctively knew why. "I knew (he was) saving somebody," Gandara said. "That's him. ... He always put people first, before him. Anybody's needs before his needs." Relatives of the 41-year-old Bebee -- including his parents, sister and nieces -- are not alone in their mourning. Four Houston firefighters, total, died when a wall collapsed during a major blaze Friday at a hotel. There was Matthew Renaud, a 35-year-old who worked out of five stations in the 12 years he was with the Houston Fire Department. Robert Garner, 29, had been at Fire Station 68 since joining the department in October 2010. The youngest victim was Anne Sullivan, a 24-year-old who graduated from the city's firefighter academy in April.
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NEW: Friend says 24-year-old firefighter who died was "very passionate, very strong"
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NEW: 5 of 13 injured firefighters are still in the hospital, fire department captain says
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NEW: Houston firefighters are struggling to cope with the loss of their colleagues, he adds
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Official: More firefighters have died in 2013 in Texas than in last 5 years combined
"She was very passionate, very strong, (very) beautiful, and she was very dedicated to her career," @placeholder's friend and fellow firefighter Ryche Guerrero said.