A lieutenant with the Chicago Fire Department will be laid to rest Wednesday, with several downtown streets closing as fellow firefighters and first responders pay tribute with a procession and funeral services.
Lt. Kevin Ward died in late August, nearly three weeks after he was injured while responding to a fire in the 8300 block of West Balmoral Avenue.
Ward, 59, joined the department in 1996, according to officials.
According to Chicago fire officials, his funeral will be held Wednesday at the Fourth Presbyterian Church, located at 126 East Chestnut in the Gold Coast neighborhood.
A procession will precede the funeral, with Ward being escorted from Engine 98 to the church.
According to the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communication, that procession is scheduled to take place at 8:30 a.m. A visitation service will take place at 9 a.m., then the funeral will begin at 11 a.m.
The procession will proceed westbound on Chicago Avenue to Michigan Avenue, where it will head north to the church, according to officials.
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Michigan Avenue will close between Oak Street and Chicago Avenue for the procession, officials said.
Streets within an area bounded by Oak Street on the north, Rush Street on the west, Chicago Avenue on the south, and Mies Van Der Rohe on the east will intermittently close between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m.
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Ward was one of three firefighters injured in the blaze on Aug. 11. A mayday call was issued during that fire, with two firefighters, including Ward, ending up trapped in the basement of the home.
He was taken to an area hospital for treatment for burns and smoke inhalation, and was originally listed in critical condition.
He remained hospitalized after the fire, and passed away on Aug. 29, according to officials.
