A heroic Boston firefighter who perished in a devastating blaze had rescued two individuals just hours before the tragic incident. Robert Kilduff, a member of Rescue Company Two, responded to a raging three-alarm fire at 18 Treadway Road in Dorchester on Saturday night when he fell from a third-story window.
Kilduff sustained critical injuries in the fire and was rushed to Boston Medical Center, where he later died, according to Boston Fire Commissioner Rodney Marshall.
Known affectionately as 'BK' and 'Bobby' by loved ones, Kilduff saved two people in the last 48 hours of his life. The hero rescued a young girl who attempted to jump off a building in Fenway and aided a homeless man stranded at a Boston transit yard, Boston Fire Lieutenant Greg Kelly said.
Kilduff had been fighting fires for over two decades and is the first Boston firefighter to die in the line of duty in more than ten years. He is remembered as 'the heart of the firehouse,' with colleagues describing him as selfless during an emotional press conference.
'Every firefighter in this division has a story about BK helping them,' Kelly said, adding that Kilduff was one of the most skilled responders.
Known as 'the quintessential rescue man,' Rescue Company Two Captain Sean Linnell said Kilduff was the 'go-to guy.' 'As the captain, you have to rely on certain guys to do certain things, and Bobby was the guy that I always relied on. He was my go-to guy,' Linnell said.
The brave responder was also a devoted father who loved his children fiercely. 'He loved his kids so much, and he was that example that all of us as firefighters and fathers and parents strive to be,' Engine 42 Captain Kevin Preston said. 'Doing this job is tough, and he was able to keep that dichotomy of balancing work while still prioritizing his children and his family, which is sometimes not easy to do.'
Kilduff was deeply involved with nonprofits supporting first responders and veterans, as he was a third-generation firefighter and former Marine. Thousands of friends, family, and loved ones attended his wake on Sunday to honor his memory.
'We ask that on this Memorial Day weekend, you remember BK, you remember our crew here, and you remember all the Boston firefighters,' Preston said. 'Anything, anytime, any place - if someone in Boston’s in trouble, we’re coming for them.'
