Firefighter working on 'Chicago Med' set evacuates family after spotting house fire

CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) - It was life imitating art on the South Side in the Kenwood neighborhood when a fire broke out at a home nearly next door to a film crew shooting a TV show about emergency responders.

So, a real-life Chicago firefighter working as medic for the show immediately sprang into action.

"I was in front of the building and I smelled some smoke," Chicago Firefighter Michael Agostinelli said.

Agostinelli was working at his second job as an on-set medic for the NBC TV series "Chicago Med." Crews were setting up a scene at a home in the 4800 block of South Kimbard in the Kenwood neighborhood when Agostinelli smelled something all too familiar.

"It really wasn't part of the scene because the smell of smoke wasn't in the plan for the day," Agostinelli said.

Sure enough, just two doors to the south another Kenwood mansion had caught fire.

"Went and knocked on the door, made sure everything was okay. Saw the residents. Told them I think their roof is on fire. And went in, made sure everybody was out of the building and then called 911," Agostinelli said.

Within moments, his on-duty colleagues responded, eventually escalating the call to a 2-11, which brought in 130 firefighters and paramedics.

While they were fighting the fire, the pretend emergency responders next door took a break.

"All they had to do was look to the right and they saw real firemen going to work," said CFD District Chief Timothy Sampey.

The owners of the home that caught fire bought it long ago and just moved into it. In fact, they were having some renovation done, which is apparently how the fire started.

The home suffered significant damage, but no one was hurt.

And while his boss offered praise, Agostinelli says it was what any firefighter would do, even one moonlighting in the world of make believe.

"I have to give credit to one of our off duty firefighters," Sampey said.

"I was just doing my job. What I was trained to do. Nothing major. It was just making a phone call and making sure everybody was out," Agostinelli said.