Tragedy struck Chicago as a veteran firefighter lost his life following a garage fire in the Austin neighborhood. In the heart of the derelict aftermath, Charles Green, 44, has been charged with the murder of Captain David Meyer, a 28-year veteran of the Chicago Fire Department, as well as arson, according to a report by WGN-TV. Captured near his residence just after noon on Wednesday, Green's alleged act of igniting a trash bin led to a blaze and, subsequently, the death of Meyer when the fire-ravaged garage collapsed on him.
Bringing further grief to the city, Captain Meyer was remembered for his dedication to the community and his love for carpentry. Nearing retirement, Meyer was described by CFD Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt as "the rock of his family," with a relationship with his wife beginning in those nascent moments of youth when they were just teens. "No one should watch their child go first" were the weighted words shared by Meyer's mother, reported by WGN-TV, echoing a sentiment that reverberates through the core of every parent.
As the investigation unfolded, officials from the CFD's Office of Fire Investigation, working alongside the ATF, concluded that the fire was a result of human intervention. A procession on Thursday paid respects to the fallen captain, moving his body from the medical examiner's office to a funeral home on the Northwest Side, WGN-TV adds. A public visitation for Captain Meyer is scheduled for the following Monday, with his final rest to occur after funeral services at Saint John Brebeuf Parish in Niles the subsequent day.
Miriam Alonso, a resident and eyewitness to the devastating collapse that killed Meyer, told ABC7 Chicago, "This is so traumatizing. I still have it in replay in my head like how it all happened." She detailed her horror as the garage succumbed to the flames and crumbled onto Meyer, noting the screams and smoke that clouded the scene. Making the sequence of events even more disquieting, Alonso and officials confirm that this fire is one of at least five trash bin fires on West Crystal Street this year, with a suggestion that they may all be connected.
