Suburban Firefighter Killed

Deepest sympathies to the Homewood Fire Department which suffered it's first ever Line of Duty Firefighter death yesterday:

• Brian Carey, 28, a firefighter with the Homewood Fire Department for less than two months, had dreamed of being a fireman since he was a boy. On Tuesday, he was the first in a line of firefighters to rush into a burning house to save a paralyzed, elderly man, family said -- the first time that he had confronted a fire "of that magnitude."

  "He was your typical redheaded South Side Irish-Catholic kid who wanted to be a fireman. Everyone was so proud of him when he became one," said Jim Duffy, a close family friend and retired battalion chief from Oak Park who used to bring Carey as a boy to the firehouse to let him slide down the fire pole and try on helmets.

Another firefighter was seriously injured in the same blaze which is believed to have been a "backdraft" incident. Prayers and well wishes for both firefighters here only.