A cause of death was released by the Cook County Medical Examiner's office Thursday for 55-year-old Jan Tchoryk, a Chicago Fire Department lieutenant who died Wednesday while battling a high-rise fire in the city's Gold Coast neighborhood.
According to the ME's office, Tchoryk died of hypertensive-arteriosclerotic cardiovascular
disease, with his cause of death being listed as natural.
Tchoryk collapsed while climbing stairs up to battle the flames after elevators were shut down.
Earlier on Thursday, Chicago fire officials revealed the cause of the deadly fire, with authorities deeming the fire to be "accidental", with the blaze believed to have been sparked by "combustibles being too close to a heat generating appliance."
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
The fire sparked just before 7:30 a.m. Wednesday on the 27th floor of a building in the 1200 block of north Lake Shore Drive, according to fire officials. The fire, which was elevated to an extra alarm, involved a "very large apartment," prompting response from several fire houses.
"He was making his way up to the fire floor, they had to take the stairs because the elevators were out, and then he went down," Nance-Holt said. "He was with his crews when he did, a mayday was called for help. The crews then started treating him right away by doing CPR on the scene and got them back to the lobby where they continued and ambulance 66 took him and they continued CPR to the hospital along with members ... despite their best efforts he succumbed to his injuries."
Local
At least one other firefighter was injured during the blaze but was said to be in good condition.
Tchoryk's death marked the second firefighter death in two days in the city this week.
"This has been a tragic week for us," said Chicago Fire Department Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt. "Unprecedented."
"It's a very difficult time for the Chicago Fire Department and a very difficult time and day for our city," Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said. "It is unprecedented to lose two firefighters in back-to-back days. In different circumstances, but each of them responding to a call to serve and responding to the aid of others. People that they didn't know - because that's what the job demands and that's what they signed up for."
