Firefighter Mike Altman Dies From Injuries Suffered While Battling Rogers Park Apartment Fire

ROGERS PARK — A firefighter who was injured while battling a fire in Rogers Park died from his injuries Tuesday, officials said.

Chicago Fire Department Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt identified the firefighter as Mike Altman, 32, and said he had been with the department for nearly two years.

Altman was the fourth generation in his family to serve the city’s fire department, Nance-Holt said during a press conference Tuesday. His grandfather, Edward P. Altman, was a commissioner of the fire department from 1996 to 1999 under then Mayor Richard M. Daley.

“We are heartbroken by yet another loss of our own,” she said. “We will never forget his courage and sacrifice.”

The fire started around 11:30 a.m. Monday at the apartment building at 1757 W. North Shore Ave. and was struck out around 1:15 p.m., the fire department said. Over 100 fire department personnel responded to the fire, according to media reports. Neighbors reported seeing smoke pouring from the rear of the building, which contained burn marks on its rear exterior facade.

Altman, who worked for Truck 47 in Edgewater, was conducting a search of the building when he fell through the floor of the first story into a basement room that was “fully on fire,” his supporters said in a fundraiser launched for his family. He suffered extensive burns on 90 percent of his body, according to the fundraiser.

Mike Altman, 32, died from injuries he suffered battling a Rogers Park apartment fire on Monday, March 16, 2026. Credit: Chicago Fire Department

Altman was taken to Stroger Hospital in “serious to critical” condition and admitted to its burn unit. He was pronounced dead Tuesday, officials said.

The 32-year-old firefighter was a husband and father of a small child with a baby on the way, according to the fundraiser. Altman was injured “doing what he always does — putting others first,” supporters wrote in the fundraiser.

Over $155,000 was raised for Altman’s family as of Tuesday afternoon.

Ald. Maria Hadden (49th) said the actions of Altman and his colleagues kept neighbors safe Monday in Rogers Park.

“His bravery and selflessness saved countless lives yesterday, and the people of Rogers Park are all grateful for Mike and the rest of the Chicago Fire Department,” the Rogers Park alderwoman said in a statement.

Nance-Holt thanked the doctors and staff at Cook County Hospital who did “everything they humanly could” to save Altman.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Nance-Holt said. No other injuries were reported in the fire.

A firefighter was seriously injured while battling a blaze in an apartment building at 1757 W. North Shore Ave. Monday, March 16, 2026. Credit: Madison Savedra/ Block Club Chicago

Altman is the first firefighter to die in a blaze this year.

Firefighter Captain David Meyer, 54, died in a garage fire last April in the 1200 block of North Pine Avenue.

Four firefighters died battling blazes in 2023, the deadliest year since 1998.

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