Two Chicago firefighters died within a two-day span battling fires in the city this week, marking an unprecedented situation for the department and the city.
"This has been a tragic week for us," said Chicago Fire Department Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt. "Unprecedented."
The two tragic incidents happened nearly 24 hours apart.
"It's a very difficult time for the Chicago Fire Department and a very difficult time and day for our city," Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said. "It is unprecedented to lose two firefighters in back-to-back days. In different circumstances, but each of them responding to a call to serve and responding to the aid of others. People that they didn't know - because that's what the job demands and that's what they signed up for."
Here's what we know so far about the incidents and the firefighters themselves.
Jermaine Pelt
The first firefighter death this week came when Jermaine Pelt, a father of two who recently celebrated his 49th birthday, died battling an extra-alarm blaze that spread to multiple buildings Tuesday morning in the city's West Pullman neighborhood.
Local
Pelt, a father of two who recently celebrated his 49th birthday, had been a member of the department since 2005 and worked in the city's Roseland community for his entire career, according to CFD Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
"He just walked his daughter down the aisle for her wedding and she's on a honeymoon right now," Nance-Holt said through tears.
The blaze started around 3:30 a.m. in the 12000 block of South Wallace Street, according to fire officials. It then spread to two other buildings.
Pelt was manning a hose in one of the burning buildings when "conditions worsened," authorities said. All firefighters were ordered out of the building, but Pelt "went down" just as that order was being issued.
He was "quickly found" near the hose line by his lieutenant - who was also hospitalized but is in good condition - and brought out for treatment, Nance-Holt said.
"Despite our best efforts - our firefighters and paramedics, they worked feverishly on Jermaine doing CPR all the way from the scene to Christ Hospital - he passed away," she said.
Pelt died of carbon monoxide toxicity due to inhalation of smoke and soot, the Cook County Medical Examiner's office ruled. Two other firefighters were injured in the blaze.
Lt. Jan Tchoryk
Chicago Fire Lt. Jan Tchoryk was the second firefighter to die while on duty this week, after collapsing while battling a blaze in the city's Gold Coast neighborhood.
The fire sparked just before 7:30 a.m. Wednesday on the 27th floor of a building in the 1200 block of north Lake Shore Drive, according to fire officials. The fire, which was elevated to an extra alarm, involved a "very large apartment," prompting response from several fire houses. It was later determined to be an accident sparked by "combustibles being too close to a a heat generating appliance," officials said.
Among those responding was Tower Ladder 10, led by Tchoryk, a more than 20-year veteran with the department and a Navy vet, who collapsed while climbing stairs up to battle the flames after elevators were shut down.
"He was making his way up to the fire floor, they had to take the stairs because the elevators were out, and then he went down," Nance-Holt said. "He was with his crews when he did, a mayday was called for help. The crews then started treating him right away by doing CPR on the scene and got them back to the lobby where they continued and ambulance 66 took him and they continued CPR to the hospital along with members ... despite their best efforts he succumbed to his injuries."
The Cook County Medical Examiner's office revealed on Thursday that Tchoryk died of hypertensive-arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with the cause of his death being listed as natural.
At least one other firefighter was injured during the blaze but was said to be in good condition.
Tchoryk, who was about 55 years old, joined the department in 1997 and had been on the job for about 26 years.
"He had a big extended family and also his family is here as well," Nance-Holt said. "His son is a Chicago police officer who's newly on the job as a police officer."
His fellow firefighter, retired engineer Tony Allegretti described Tchoryk as the "most kindest person in the world."
"He'd give his shirt off his back. I'm gonna miss my buddy now. like I said, we did a lot of things together. it was always go to his kids' parties or my kids' parties and helping him at his house or he'd help me at my house. I won't have that anymore.
