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Boston Firefighter Robert 'BK' Kilduff Jr. Laid to Rest After Dorchester Blaze

Officials are investigating his May 23 fall for causes that could affect firefighter safety.

Overview

  • Kilduff fell three stories while battling a three-alarm fire in Dorchester on May 23 and was later pronounced dead at Boston Medical Center.
  • A joint probe by the Boston Fire Department, Boston Police and the Suffolk County district attorney remains open as investigators examine how the fall occurred and reports of a possible partial wall collapse.
  • Thousands of firefighters, officials and members of the public attended a wake and a funeral Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on June 1 where the IAFF presented Kilduff’s children with its Martin E. Pierce line-of-duty medal.
  • Tunnel to Towers pledged to pay off Kilduff’s mortgage and cover his children’s education, and unions and community groups have mobilized immediate financial and emotional support for his family.
  • Kilduff was a 24-year, third-generation Boston firefighter and U.S. Marine Corps veteran whose death — the first line-of-duty loss for the city in more than a decade — has prompted renewed attention to building stability and safety procedures for interior firefighting operations.