Three Charged Over Blaze That Killed Chicago Firefighter

Two men have been charged with murder and aggravated arson in connection with a fire that caused one death, according to Chicago police.

Firefighter Jermaine Pelt lost his life while responding to a fire in an apartment building in the West Pullman neighborhood on the south side of Chicago on April 4, 2023.

Two individuals were held in custody pending trial during a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on Friday. They face multiple counts of murder and aggravated arson in connection with the blaze, according to the Chicago-Sun Times.

A third individual, who owned the building where the fire began, faces charges of fraud and forgery relating to the incident, but has not been charged with Pelt’s death. He was released pending trial on the condition that he surrender any firearms and refrain from contacting witnesses.

The outlet reported that Cook County prosecutors argued that he purchased the building in southern Chicago in 2021 during a renovation phase and secured an insurance policy worth nearly $400,000. Despite saying the building was rented out, prosecutors allege it was actually unoccupied and uninhabitable, lacking essential utilities and furnishings.

After the fire, the owner allegedly filed an insurance claim, asserting that he was renting a unit for $1,350 per month and that he had lost valuable equipment in the blaze. However, prosecutors said the building lacked plumbing and furniture.

Prosecutors said the fire was discovered after neighbors awoke around 2:30 a.m. to intense heat and light, mistaking the brightness for daytime. Pelt, initially assigned to a fire hydrant, was redirected to assist with a hose in a neighboring building as the fire spread. Firefighters later discovered him trapped under debris in the attic, his mask dislodged, prosecutors said. Despite efforts to save him, Pelt succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation.

Investigators reportedly determined the fire was started with an accelerant, believed to be hand sanitizer, which caused a bright flash and slow spread.

Investigators say they searched a dumpster behind a barber shop and found two empty bottles of hand sanitizer.

They also reportedly reviewed cell phone records and surveillance footage, which prosecutors argue tie the accused to the scene.

The day after Pelt’s death, another firefighter also lost their life in the line of duty. Lt. Jan Tchoryk died in a high-rise building on the Near North Side of the city, responding to a fire, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

At the time, then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot reportedly referred to the two deaths as “unprecedented.”

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