Communities honor veteran Boston firefighter who died during Dorchester fire, "He was a real hero"

Tributes are pouring in as communities honor and remember a Boston firefighter who died in the line of duty, battling a three-alarm blaze over the weekend.

Bobby Kilduff Jr., a third-generation Boston firefighter and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, passed away late Saturday after falling from the third floor of a home on Treadway Road in Dorchester.

"You expect to go home, and now you're not, it's hard," said Katelyn McCabe, who lives across the road from the now charred building.

McCabe and others nearby have slowly built a memorial in honor of Kilduff, adjacent to the home where he helped get all the residents to safety.

"He gave the ultimate sacrifice to make sure that five of our neighbors in Boston and all their families would have life," said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.

"He was a real hero, a Marine, a firefighter, a dad. He was really active and supporting his firefighters and you know he'll be deeply, deeply missed," said Governor Maura Healey.

Kilduff's death is being felt deeply across the state, including in West Roxbury, where he lived, and in Canton, where he attended high school.

"We're so thankful that we are here to honor the sacrifice of our dearly departed. May his memory always be a blessing," said Angelina Camacho, a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, after a Memorial Day gathering in the town.

In Boston, flowers and tributes continued to grow outside Rescue Company 2, where Kilduff served. His boots are now outlined on the station's bay floor, and his memory is cherished by those who knew "BK" well.

"He said we got to write 'Too big to fill' on there, and I think we all feel that sentiment," Lt. Greg Kelly said. "He's going to be missed sorely. He is irreplaceable."  

Friends and fellow firefighters described him as a loving father,  a "fireman's fireman," and a  true "Jake," a term of admiration in the fire service and someone firefighters relied on during his 24 years on the job.

"BK has been a champion for every firefighter," said Lt. Jason Burns, a Fall River firefighter and executive director of the Last Call Foundation, an organization that supports firefighter safety and mental health.

Last Call Foundation was started by the mother of fallen firefighter Michael Kennedy, one of two Boston firefighters who died in the line of duty battling a massive fire in Back Bay in 2014.

Burns said "BK" was a supreme source of intel, and in the fight to bolster safety and mental health resources for firefighters, the latter was especially important in the wake of tragedies.

"On tragic moments like this, firefighters, they're numb right now. You can see it in their eyes, and they're pained, and it's really difficult to have a conversation," Burns added.

Still, many are choosing to remember Kilduff through stories of his courage, dedication, and commitment to family, including during Sunday night's dignified transfer.

"I will always look back and smile when I think about BK and kind of how he did all that, but prioritized his family and took care of his children and did it with such great pride and grace," Burns said. "And I think, we all have someone to look up to in a way that we could try to emulate and be more like BK."  

Kilduff's mortgage and the education expenses for his children will be paid off by the Towers to Tunnel Foundation.