In a profound display of courage, a Boston firefighter tragically lost his life after saving others from peril just hours before. Robert Kilduff, a dedicated member of Rescue Company Two, responded to a severe three-alarm fire at 18 Treadway Road in Dorchester on a Saturday night. During his valiant efforts, Kilduff fell from a third-story window, suffering critical injuries that ultimately claimed his life at Boston Medical Center, as confirmed by Boston Fire Commissioner Rodney Marshall.
Affectionately known by his friends and family as ‘BK’ and ‘Bobby,’ Kilduff’s final hours were marked by acts of heroism. Within the last 48 hours before the tragic incident, he saved two individuals from life-threatening situations. Boston Fire Lieutenant Greg Kelly recounted how Kilduff intervened to save a young girl attempting to leap from a building in Fenway and also came to the rescue of a homeless man trapped in a Boston transit yard.
With over two decades of firefighting experience, Kilduff’s dedication to serving his community was unwavering. His passing marks a somber milestone, as he is the first Boston firefighter to die in the line of duty in more than ten years. His legacy as a hero will undoubtedly remain etched in the hearts of those he protected and served.
Known to loved ones as ‘BK’ and ‘Bobby,’ Kilduff rescued two people in the last 48 hours of his life.
The hero saved a young girl who tried to jump off a building in Fenway and rescued a homeless man stuck at a Boston transit yard, Boston Fire Lt Greg Kelly said.
Kilduff had been fending off fires for over 20 years, and is the first Boston firefighter in more than a decade to die in the line of duty.
He is remembered as ‘the heart of the firehouse,’ with colleagues saying he was selfless, in an emotional press conference.
‘Every firefighter in this division has a story about BK helping them,’ Kelly said, adding that he was one of the most skilled responders.
Robert Kilduff of the Boston Fire Department
The Boston Red Sox hold a moment of silence for the late Boston firefighter
The firefighter responded to a raging three-alarm fire at 18 Treadway Road in Dorchester
Known as ‘the quintessential rescue man,’ Rescue Company Two Captain Sean Linnell says 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 in the conference.
‘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 closely involved with nonprofits supporting first responders and veterans as he was a third-generation firefighter and former Marine.
Kilduff suffered critical injuries in the blaze and was rushed to Boston Medical Center, where he later died
The brave responder was also a devoted father who loved his children fiercely
Firefighters embrace after speaking about the loss of Kilduff
Scores of firefighters, and other first responders, attend Kilduff’s wake
Flowers sit in front of Boston Fire Rescue Company Two
Thousands of friends, family, and loved ones showed up to honor the firefighter at his wake on Sunday
Thousands of friends, family, and loved ones showed up to honor the firefighter at his wake on Sunday.
‘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,’ he added.
