Firefighter Dies After Collapsing at Blaze in South Suburban Harvey

A firefighter died after collapsing at a blaze in south suburban Harvey on Saturday afternoon.

Around 1:30 p.m., the Harvey Fire Department responded to a report of multiple mobile homes on fire near W. 150th St. and Rockwell Ave., according to Harvey police spokesman Sean Howard.

The Harvey Fire Department then called for backup from the neighboring Dolton Fire Department, Howard said. [[427684693, C]]

Dolton firefighter Lawrence Matthews was on the sidewalk at the scene of the fire when he collapsed and became unresponsive, according to officials. 

Matthews was taken to Ingalls Memorial Hospital where he later died, authorities said. It was not immediately clear if his collapse was related to the fire. 

Matthews was 35, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office, while officials had earlier placed his age at 36. 

Matthews had been with the Dolton Fire Department since 2009, a source said, and leaves behind a wife and four children between the ages of 3 and 11. [[427691613, C]]

His cause of death, as well as the source of the fire, remains under investigation.

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