When Chicago Fire returns for Season 14, Firehouse 51 will be short two familiar faces. Daniel Kyri’s Darren Ritter and Jake Lockett’s Sam Carver both stepped away following the Season 13 finale, leaving some big boots to fill. But according to showrunner Andrea Newman, one newcomer isn’t just filling a vacancy — he’s bringing echoes of one of the show’s most enduring arcs.
Enter Brandon Larracuente, who joins as series regular Sal Vasquez, a young firefighter with a confident smile, a complicated past, and — most intriguingly — a deeply rooted family history in first responder work. That last detail should sound familiar to longtime fans because it’s straight out of the Kelly Severide playbook.
From Severide to Sal: The Family Legacy Connection
Speaking to TV Insider, Newman wasted no time drawing a direct line between Severide (Taylor Kinney) and Vasquez.
“The charming Sal Vasquez is the new addition to 51, and, like Severide, this character is rich with family history in the first responder world, much of it buried. But not for long.”
That buried history will inevitably surface — and when it does, Vasquez will test not only his own limits but also the patience of his superiors. Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), his new lieutenant, will have to manage both his talent and his tendency to keep people at arm’s length. And Lizzie Novak (Jocelyn Hudon) will have her own challenge: figuring out the man behind the charm.
The Jack Damon Parallel
This isn’t the first time Chicago Fire has introduced a young, self-assured firefighter with a first responder bloodline. Michael Bradway’s Jack Damon, revealed in Season 13 as Severide’s half-brother, arrived on the scene with swagger, skill, and plenty of rough edges. Much of Severide’s recent arc has revolved around mentoring Damon — trying to keep him from burning out or burning bridges.
Vasquez seems poised to follow a similar trajectory. If Damon was Severide’s family by blood, Sal could become family by fire. And while the similarities risk feeling repetitive, there’s also an opportunity here: the writers can build on the mentor-protégé dynamic they established with Damon but inject new tension by making Sal an outsider with secrets instead of a long-lost relative.
Why Vasquez Could Be a Game-Changer for Season 14
From a storytelling perspective, Vasquez’s arrival is perfectly timed. With Ritter and Carver gone, and Kidd and Severide navigating both professional challenges and personal milestones (including the possibility of starting a family), Sal’s presence could be the catalyst for fresh drama.
If Kidd finds herself constantly putting out Sal’s metaphorical fires, the added stress could bleed into her marriage with Severide. And if Sal gravitates toward Novak — as Newman teases he will — the firehouse could find itself with a slow-burn romance to root for, complicated by the fact that Sal isn’t an open book.
The Bottom Line
Sal Vasquez may be walking a path we’ve seen before — young firefighter, storied family history, complicated personal life — but Chicago Fire has proven time and again that familiar setups can still deliver fresh emotional payoffs. Whether he becomes Severide’s next great success story or another cautionary tale, Vasquez’s first season at Firehouse 51 is guaranteed to leave a mark.
After all, in Chicago, new recruits either forge themselves in the flames… or get consumed by them.
