By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• Boston firefighters and community members are mourning veteran firefighter Robert “Bobby” Kilduff Jr. after he died battling a three-alarm house fire in Dorchester.
• Kilduff, a 24-year member of the Boston Fire Department and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, fell from the third floor of the burning home Saturday night and later died at a hospital.
• Colleagues described him as a devoted firefighter, leader and the “heart of the firehouse.”
• Memorials and tributes have been placed at his fire station and the scene of the blaze.
BOSTON, MA — Friends, fellow firefighters and community members are honoring the life and service of Robert “Bobby” Kilduff Jr., a veteran Boston firefighter who died Saturday while responding to a three-alarm residential fire in the Dorchester neighborhood.
Kilduff, 53, a third-generation firefighter and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, suffered severe injuries after falling from a third story of the burning triple-decker home on Treadway Road late Saturday night, the Boston Fire Department reported. He later died at Boston Medical Center.
His 24-year career with the department included numerous rescues and leadership roles, and colleagues described Kilduff as a mentor and central figure at Rescue Company 2, often referred to as the “heart of the firehouse.”
Firefighters and residents have placed flowers and mourning bunting at Kilduff’s station and outside the scene of the blaze, and events including a wake are planned to honor his life.
The Boston Fire Department and city officials have acknowledged Kilduff’s long service and dedication to protecting the community, with tributes highlighting his leadership, commitment to family, and charitable work supporting veterans and first responders.