Who is Burke on ‘Chicago Fire’? New probie’s tragic past comes to light as Firehouse 51 faces fallout

'Chicago Fire' has several probies this season. One of them shone brightly in Episode 3, titled 'Take The Hit.' Marcus Burke (Da'Vinchi) was introduced as a passionate probie looking to make his mark. He might be excelling in developing his firefighting skills, but he wasn't putting the same effort into his social skills. He was a 'lone wolf' and seemed happy that way. The episode's events, though, left him in serious need of allies. Lt. Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) allowed the recruits to help in a chemical fire, which ended with one of their own in danger, and Burke was suspected of being the culprit.

The superiors warned the recruits that no matter what, they should not touch the gas valves inside the warehouse. One recruit did not listen and touched a gas valve. Pressure surged inside and put Tony's (Anthony Ferraris) life in danger. Fortunately, Tony made it out alive, but had to be hospitalized. Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) and Capt. Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) asked the culprit to confess, or the whole team would have to face consequences.

In the locker room, the probies are accusing each other. Burke's quiet demeanor makes them point their fingers at him. Burke denies the accusations. Suspicion grows when he visits Gaffney, where Tony is hospitalized. Since no one confessed, Stella and Severide launched an investigation, which revealed McCaffrey (Matthew Daddario) as the culprit. Burke confronts McCaffrey, and the latter promises to make things right. Later, it is revealed that McCaffrey has asked his father, an Illinois state senator, to reduce the heat on him and his team.

The scheme doesn’t work, and McCaffrey is let go. Later, McCaffrey rants to the fellow recruits about the termination. Burke asks McCaffrey why he didn’t confess the first chance he got. McCaffrey loses his patience and says that Burke knows nothing about him. McCaffrey berates him by stressing that he had no one at his graduation ceremony. Despite having no one at his corner, he doesn’t open up, even when Harold Capp (Randy Flagler) questions him about leaving Gaffney without visiting Tony. However, in the final moments, his real reason for visiting the hospital is revealed. The recruit is seen talking to his comatose father. He seems to want to keep this private, and therefore maintains his distance from others. To find out how Burke’s story unfolds, tune in every Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.