CHICAGO — A 49-year-old Chicago firefighter died and two others were injured in a predawn extra-alarm blaze where a mayday alert was called at a house in the West Pullman neighborhood, fire officials said.
Chicago Fire Department spokesperson Larry Langford said firefighter Jermaine Pelt died of his injuries Tuesday morning.
Shortly after 3:30 a.m., firefighters were called to a frame house located at 12015 S. Wallace St. where a heavy fire was on the second floor and in the attic. Officials said the fire spread to homes north and south of the building.
A 311 alarm was called and a mayday alert after 4 a.m., and three firefighters were injured, one critically. They were all taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, but one died of his injuries. The other two fighters’ conditions were stabilized, officials said.
All firefighters were accounted for and the mayday was called off. Two adults and two children were displaced.
Langford said Pelt went down on a hose line.
Pelt, a member of Engine 75, joined the department in 2005, Langford said.
Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt spoke at a news conference in front of the Oak Lawn hospital Tuesday.
Clearly rattled by Pelt’s death, Nance-Holt said Pelt recently celebrated his 49th birthday in March.
“Jermaine has been in the Roseland community, serving it his whole career, since 2005,” Nance-Holt said.
She added Pelt had two children, one grown and a 6-year-old.
“He just walked his daughter down the aisle for a wedding,” she said. The daughter was on her honeymoon.
Langford said that state and federal officials were investigating to determine the cause of the blaze.
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