Chief Pascal Is Out of Firehouse 51 on 'Chicago Fire' — Why Did He Leave?

The NBC hit series Chicago Fire has done it again, and by that we mean throw us a major curveball that somewhat changes the trajectory of the show. Chief Dominick “Dom” Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) was fired from Firehouse 51.

While some of us expected a pause in Pascal’s career as Chief Battalion since Deadline reported in January 2026 that the actor would be taking a hiatus toward the end of Season 14, his character’s firing still surprised fans. Now, everyone is left wondering why he’s decided to take some time off-camera and what’s next for Pascal. Here’s what we know.

It was always a part of the storyline for Dom Pascal to step away from Firehouse 51, and, well, the show, briefly in Season 14. Deadline reported this back in January 2026, noting that things would all come together later in the season when his replacement took over his role.

Viewers first saw Pascal’s downfall in the crossover episode featuring all three One Chicago shows, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and Chicago P.D., which aired on March 4, 2026.

In that episode, Pascal was arrested for getting too involved in an FBI investigation. Things went even more south when he was officially released from his role as Firehouse 51’s Chief Battalion. Since Dermot’s character was portrayed as someone who didn’t quite fit the Chief Battalion mold before he was fired, it’s unclear whether he could take on another role at a different firehouse.

In the meantime, while Pascal takes a brief hiatus from the show, his replacement will step in and won’t hold back in showing the team who holds the authority over Firehouse 51. While Episode 14, which aired on March 11, hinted that Severide might take over as Chief Battalion, Deadline reported that a replacement had already been cast (looks like the writers threw viewers yet another curveball).

According to Deadline, Rob Morgan, known for his roles in Stranger Things and Teacup, was tapped to play Battalion Chief Hopkins, a character with a “long, haunted past overseeing several Chicago firehouses.” He makes his debut in Episode 16, giving fans time to process Pascal’s exit and speculate on who will take over Firehouse 51.

While past reporting indicates that everything should make more sense as Season 14 unfolds, this doesn’t necessarily mark the end of Pascal’s time on the show. There’s still a chance viewers could be reunited with him before the season ends!

Since Pascal’s firing from Firehouse 51 was already part of the Chicago Fire storyline, it’s presumed that Dermot didn’t leave for personal reasons. However, the brief hiatus does give him more time to focus on other projects he’s been involved in, like The Hunting Wives, which began filming Season 2 around November 2025 and was expected to run through March 2026. Essentially, the timing of his character’s exit allowed him to step away from the show and focus his time on other work.