Jermaine Pelt was a 49-year-old Chicago firefighter who died on April 5, 2023, while battling a fire in the West Pullman neighborhood. He was a father of two and a veteran of the department since 2005. He had recently walked his daughter down the aisle for her wedding.
According to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office, Pelt died of carbon monoxide toxicity due to inhalation of smoke and soot. He was one of the three firefighters who were injured in the blaze that started around 3:30 a.m. and spread to two other buildings. He collapsed near the hose line and was quickly found by his lieutenant, who was also hospitalized but in good condition.
Pelt’s death was a huge loss for the Chicago Fire Department and the city. Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt said he was a hero and a family member. Mayor Lori Lightfoot called the tragedy “unprecedented” and ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in his honor.
Pelt was the first of the two Chicago firefighters who died in the line of duty within two days. The second one was Lt. Jan Tchoryk, who died of cardiovascular disease while responding to a fire in a high-rise building in the Gold Coast neighborhood on April 6, 2023. He was a Navy veteran and an outdoorsman who had a son who recently joined the Chicago Police Department.
