The firefighters battled a fire at a mattress factory in the Chicago Fire Season 7 finale, “I’m Not Leaving You.” Chaos erupted when a boiler exploded, leaving everyone’s fate in the air. The Season 8 premiere picked up immediately in the aftermath. While attempting to evacuate, Otis was trapped in the blaze and got a distress call out to his colleagues. Unfortunately, he suffered devastating injuries and was unable to exit to safety with the other firefighters.
His team rescued him and rushed him to the hospital, where he died by the side of his best friend and roommate, Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso), after telling him in Russian, “Brother, I will be with you, always.” It wouldn’t be until three months later that Cruz learned the translation of Otis’ last words. His death hung heavily over the team at Firehouse 51, and while mourning their fallen teammate, the firefighters erected a memorial to Otis, ensuring his impact would never be forgotten.
