Lt. Paul Butrim was a passionate firefighter who tragically lost his life fighting a vacant house fire in Baltimore, Maryland, on January 24, 2022.

Above everything, Paul loved his family. He was a loving husband and best friend to his wife, Rachel, and the most wonderful father to his son, Nolan. There was no greater pride in his life than his son. He was born to be a father, and he and Nolan were inseparable. Shift schedules made it possible for Paul to spend a lot of time with Nolan during the week, and he was happy for that. Sadly, Paul and Rachel lost Nolan suddenly three years prior to Paul’s passing.

Paul’ fire service included Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company. He was appointed to the Baltimore City Fire Department in 2005. In 2015, Paul was honored by Firehouse Magazine with a Valor Award after he located a child trapped face down in an apartment fire. He made the grab, removed the victim, and performed CPR until advanced life support arrived.

In November 2016, after hard work and study, Paul was promoted to lieutenant. His dream as a lieutenant was to work on Bush Street at Truck Co. #23 in Pigtown, 3rd Battalion. That wish came true, and he settled in as the truck boss on D-Shift. He was a welcome addition to the family, many of whom he had worked with in the past.

Paul was an avid Boston Red Sox fan, even though he was in Orioles country. He loved hockey and was a Caps fan. Perhaps his favorite of all was NASCAR. On May 1, Paul was honored by his favorite driver, #9 Chase Elliot, who drove with Paul’s Last Alarm decal on his dashboard. Chase won that race; Paul would have loved it.

The Butrim family were avid campers. Nolan added a tremendous amount of fun to those trips and called the trailer his “campy.” In his honor, Rachel and Paul continued camping after Nolan’s passing and proudly erected a flag emblazoned with “Nolan’s Campy.” Rachel has vowed that those trips will continue to honor Paul and Nolan. Paul has his own flag, and both are erected as camping protocol.

The impact of this tragic loss left holes in so many hearts—Rachel, family and friends, and his fire department family. The bright spot is that one month after Paul’s passing, Rachel found out she was expecting a baby girl. Paisley Joan Butrim was born on September 21, 2022. While this “gift” brings joy to Rachel and all who love her, the fact that Paul will never hold his baby girl is ever present. The only solace we have is that Paul and Nolan are together and are angels watching over Rachel and Paisley.

Rest in Peace, Paul. Always in our heart, forever on our minds.