Hero firefighter saved the lives of 2 people just hours before he died in horror blaze

Published: 06:26, 2 June 2026 | Updated: 06:26, 2 June 2026 A heroic Boston firefighter who died in a devastating blaze had rescued two people just hours before the tragedy unfolded.  Robert Kilduff of Rescue Company Two responded to a raging three-alarm fire at 18 Treadway Road in Dorchester on Saturday night, when he plummeted from a third-story window.  Kilduff suffered critical injuries in the blaze and was rushed to Boston Medical Center, where he later died, according to Boston Fire Commissioner Rodney Marshall. 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. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.