A 32-year-old Chicago firefighter died Tuesday after sustaining serious injuries while responding to a fire in Rogers Park on Monday morning. Michael Altman was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital after falling through a floor into a basement during the emergency response at 1757 W. North Shore Ave.
The incident occurred around 11:20 a.m. Monday at a four-story multi-unit building. Chicago Fire Department Deputy District Chief Kelly Burns told that Altman fell through the floor while battling the blaze at the back of the structure. “He was there one second, and he was in the basement the next,” Burns said, Chicago Sun-Times reported. According to the department, crews removed Altman from the basement in under a minute.
Approximately 100 firefighters, along with multiple trucks, engines, and tower ladders, responded to the scene.
Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt stated that Altman was a fourth-generation Chicago firefighter, FOX 32 Chicago reported. Department officials noted that Altman would have completed two years of service this May.
A procession from Stroger Hospital to the Cook County medical examiner’s office took place at approximately 12:45 p.m. Tuesday, according to a Monroe District police lieutenant.