IFLODD: Firefighter Memorial


Firefighter Record

Firefighter Details

Name John Minich
Agency Chicago Fire Department
Rank Firefighter
Type of Firefighter Career
Age Range 41 to 45
Sex Male
Date of Birth 0/0/0
Date of Death 10/25/1952
Cause of Death Contact/Exposure
Nature of Death Heat exhaustion
Attribute of Death Smoke inhalation
Type of Duty Search and rescue operations

Incident Details

Incident Name N/A
Incident City Chicago
Incident State IL
Incident Date 10/25/1952
Incident Location Public assembly
Incident Attribute Arson , Fires

Incident Summary

On October 25, 1952, Firefighter John Francis Minich of the Chicago Fire Department collapsed during a hotel fire, shortly after rescuing several civilians from the burning building. He was taken to Ravenswood hospital where he was pronounced dead due to smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion.

The fire, located at the Argyle Hotel on Argyle Street, was started by an employee of the hotel who was angry about a domestic dispute with his girlfriend, a hotel resident. The employee later confessed to starting the blaze by setting two fires (one by igniting a stack of papers on the second floor of the hotel and the other by setting fire to a mattress in the second floor hallway) and was charged with arson and murder by arson.

Citations:

“Set off Fatal Fire in Hotel Says Cook, 29,” Chicago Tribune, October 26, 1952.


Firefighter and Incident Images

Firefighter and Incident Audio

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