Welcome Back: Chicago Fire Leaked Photo Confirms an Unexpected Character’s Return
A handful of beloved Chicago Fire cast members said goodbye last season, but Firehouse 51 might be welcoming back some familiar faces in the upcoming Season 13. Who’s coming back for Chicago Fire Season 13? Keep reading to find out.
Who’s coming back for Chicago Fire Season 13?
Firehouse 51 is desperately in need of some new recruits. In Season 12, Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer), Blake Gallo (Alberto Rosende), Derrick Gibson (Rome Flynn) and Chief Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker) all parted ways, leaving more than a few empty spots on both Truck 81 and Ambulance 61. Additionally, Sam Carver (Jake Lockett) took a leave of absence in the season finale and it is unclear when he will be back.
While the squad did get two new members, paramedic Lyla Novak (Jocelyn Hudon) and firefighter Jack Damon (Michael Bradway), they are still pretty lean. However, that’s about to change in Season 13. It appears that Truck 81 might be welcoming a new member this fall, although she’s not entirely new. Kylie Estevez (Katelynn Shennett), the first recruit for Stella Kidd’s (Miranda Rae Mayo) Girls on Fire program, is potentially earning a spot on Kidd’s truck.
In July 2024, Chicago Fire gaffer Anthony Lullo, who leads the show’s lighting department, posted a photo of himself back on set for Season 13 on his Instagram Story. Behind him was a large bulletin board that outlined Firehouse 51’s hierarchy. Majority of the faces on the board were current members of Firehouse 51, but eagle-eyed fans were quick to spot Kylie’s picture under Carver and Damon’s.
Kylie has been around since Season 8, but she’s never been an official member of the squad. However, that appears to be changing in Season 13. Kylie was introduced to viewers in Season 8’s “I’ll Cover You,” when she was the first and only girl to sign up for Kidd’s Girls on Fire program, an initiative that provided firefighting education to at-risk teenage girls. Kylie then recruited all of her friends to join and eventually graduated from the program in Season 12. The last time viewers saw her, she was working on Truck 46 at another firehouse.
The young firefighter’s move over to 51 wouldn’t be entirely surprising. In Season 12’s “Port in the Storm,” Kylie told Derrick Gibson, who was previously a floater on 46, that she missed Kidd and everyone at 51. Gibson encouraged her to express her desire to transfer to Chief Boden, but as Kylie pointed out, there were no spots on Truck 81 available. Gibson told her to apply for a transfer anyways, seemingly hinting at his exit, which occurred a few episodes later.
So far, there has been no official word that Shennett has been upped to a series regular, but if we had to guess, fans will likely be seeing a lot more of her in Season 13. Considering her close bond with Kidd, Kylie is the perfect choice to join Truck 81.
