Chicago Fire’s Kara Killmer Waxes Nostalgic on Windy City ‘Love Affair’ in Wake of Departure Announcement

Chicago Fire star Kara Killmer is getting sentimental about her time in the Windy City.

Not along after TVLine reported that the actress will depart the NBC drama during the upcoming 12th season, Killmer took to Instagram to share a series of photos from her first days on the show.

“These are the very first few pictures I took, or was tagged in, when I first came to Chicago,” Killmer wrote, while never directly addressing her exit. “Going up in the Squad 1 basket was my first exposure to the CFD—some of the best firefighters in the country! The view from my very first apartment was absolutely stunning and the beginning of a love affair with the gorgeous city of Chicago!”

Killmer joined Fire as paramedic Sylvie Brett in the Season 3 premiere, filling the void left by the death of Lauren German’s character, paramedic Leslie Shay. The actress has appeared in 193 episodes of Fire during her nine-season run, plus over two dozen installments of spinoffs Chicago Med and Chicago P.D. An exact timetable/episode for her exit has not been revealed yet.

During Fire’s prolonged, strikes-impacted hiatus, it was announced that leading man Taylor Kinney will return as Lieutenant Kelly Severide for at least the start of Season 12. The actor took a leave of absence from the show in January to deal with a personal matter.

Chicago Fire Season 12 does not yet have a premiere date, but the firefighter drama is expected to return some time in early 2024 for a shortened 13-episode season following the conclusion of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.