There was heartache for Chicago Fire‘s Christopher Hermann (David Eigenberg) on October 22, as Firehouse 51 was called to a blaze at his family’s home. The devastating scenes are loosely based on the experience of show writer Alec Wells’ friend, who lost his home in the Altadena fire in California in January 2025. Newcomer Brandon Larracuente has now opened up on how the episode may impact the crew moving forward. “Sal has some guilt,” Brandon shared on the One Chicago Podcast, of the moment he decided to carry Christopher out of his home as he tried to collect as many belongings as possible.
Viewers saw the moment that the firehouse was called out to the home, and after they confirmed that Christopher’s daughter was not in the house, the firefighter was seen leaving the crew to save as many mementos as he could. As debris falls, Sal pulls him away and carries him out.
“We end up in the front of the yard and he’s like, ‘Get this guy away from me.’ He’s [expletive] off, which I don’t blame him for, as at that moment all he is focused on is his home and the memories that might evaporate because of the fire,” said Brandon. “[Sal] gives him some space, and there’s a beautiful moment where he’s trying to go back inside and Severide says, ‘Hermann, it’s gone, man, accept the fact’.”
Show supervisor Brian Luce hosts the podcast, and he added: “Little things touched me. Like the door frame where they measured the kids [over the years], things that you can’t replace.” Brandon, who joined the series in episode one of season 14, which premiered on October 1, also spoke of filming the scenes, sharing: “David actually didn’t help me at all that day. He’s like, ‘You gotta earn it.’ So we were really tussling.”
“One of the reasons why I love working with David is that he’s in it,” said Brandon. “He wears the tank; he doesn’t take that thing off. He’s sweating his ass off. He’s an actor who really embraces the elements around him, and working with him you want to do the same and be on that level.
“Watching his work ethic – and Miranda’s as well – it just draws you in. Being able to see it on the screen is one thing, but I get the privilege of watching them in their preparation and that’s a whole other experience for me.”
Showrunner Andrea Newman previously shared that Sal’s arrival will be a catalyst for change at Firehouse 51. “I think his relationship with his lieutenant, [Stella] Kidd, in particular,really fun,” she told TV Line, however, “fun” doesn’t necessarily mean easy here.
“He’s kind of a rebel, he’s kind of a bad boy coming in,” the EP further explained, and said of Brandon’s character: “He’s had a lot of problems with authority, personally and professionally.”
Viewers have already discovered that Sal’s father, a former police officer, is in prison for tampering with evidence during an investigation that allowed the criminal to be acquitted.
