Firefighter Record
Firefighter Details
| Name | Ellis Spatz |
| Agency | Chicago Fire Department |
| Rank | Firefighter |
| Type of Firefighter | Career |
| Age Range | 46 to 50 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/0 |
| Date of Death | 3/10/1943 |
| Cause of Death | Fall |
| Nature of Death | Trauma |
| Attribute of Death | Duty disability |
| Type of Duty | Firefighting operations , Hose operations |
Incident Details
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Chicago |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 6/16/1941 |
| Incident Location | Industry/ Manufacturing |
| Incident Attribute | Structural collapses , Fires |
Incident Summary
On March 10, 1943, Chicago Fire Department Firefighter Ellis Spatz of Engine 39 died from injuries sustained in the line of duty two years earlier.
Spatz was seriously injured on June 16, 1941, while fighting an industrial fire at the International Filter Company. The fire was in a one-story brick building in the Stockyards, and Spatz and two other firefighters were on the roof carrying a hose line across a metal canopy when the canopy collapsed. Spatz suffered fractured legs and a back injury in the fall.
Funeral services for Spatz were held on March 15 at St. Justin Martyr Church, and he was buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery. He has survived by his widow, seven children, and three brothers.
Citations:
“Three Firefighters Killed, 5 Hurt in Factory Blaze,” Chicago Daily Tribune, June 17, 1941.
Obituary of Ellis J. Spatz, Chicago Daily Tribune, March 13, 1943.
Firefighter and Incident Images
