| Name: | Herbert Johnson |
| Gender: | Male |
| Agency: | Chicago Fire Department |
| Type of Firefighter: | Career |
| Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Type of Duty: | Firefighting operations, Search and rescue operations |
| Type of Award: | Medal of Honor |
| Year of Award: | 2007 |
| Incident City: | Chicago |
| Year of Incident: | 2006 |
| Incident Location Type: | Residential |
| Incident Attribute: | Fires |
Lieutenant Herbert Johnson of the Chicago Fire Department was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions to rescue victims from a fatal apartment fire in Chicago, Illinois on March 29, 2006.
A fire broke out at 7 a.m. in an apartment on the 5400 block of South Honore Street in the Back of the Yards neighborhood of Chicago. The source of the fire was most likely electrical wiring, which was strewn throughout the residence. Lieutenant Johnson, who helped contain the flames, went into the smoke-filled apartment to search for victims. He found an unconscious 72-year-old man, who had tried to rescue the four children who were still in the apartment, and removed him to safety. Johnson re-entered the apartment to search for the children. The smoke was so thick that he and other firefighters were forced to use thermal imaging equipment to see through it. Johnson was able to find the four children, but, unfortunately, they all suffered fatal injuries as a result of the fire.
Citations:
“Four children killed in Chicago apartment fire,” Herald & Review, March 30, 2006.
“Wiring may be cause of fire that killed kids: 4 children die in Back of the Yards,” Chicago Tribune, March 30, 2006.