"Chicago Fire" season 8 opened with a devastating death of Firehouse 51's hero Otis Zvonecek. In a tragic turn of events, the firefighter succumbed to the injuries he suffered in the mattress factory fire the last season.

[Spoilers alert! This article contains spoilers for "Chicago Fire" season 8 episode 2.]

With a long-time series regular gone, it is obvious fans are wondering how the death of Otis will impact the firehouse. The season 7 finale ended with a cliffhanger after Otis suffered severe injuries in the factory. His fate was left hanging while fans hoped to see him recover. However, things took an unexpected turn when his wounds became fatal and he died with Joe Cruz by his side.

"Chicago Fire" season 8 episode 1 "Sacred Ground" ended with an emotional tribute to Otis. Friends and family from Firehouse 51 got together to bid their final goodbyes to the beloved fireman.

Moving forward, Otis' death is going to impact not only Joe but other members at the firehouse, too. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, showrunner Derek Haas revealed that the effects will be felt by different people in different ways. And it will unravel "over a period of time."

"That clock is different for different people. The way it affects Joe Cruz, his best friend, and roommate, is going to be different than the way it affects Boden, who was his chief, and the way it affects Casey, who is his captain. And the way it affects Brett, who was also his roommate. To see those different elements and not cheapen them, and really make it have lasting effects, that's what we're doing," Haas said.

Meanwhile, Otis' death was a major character death in a long time, and it is an attempt to make the show look real. Real firefighters' job involves plenty of risks and fans witnessed what their jobs could result in, sometimes.

"I just think those things are important to keep the audience saying, "Oh wow, Chicago Fire will do it at any time." You got to pay attention to. I know most of the audience is like, "Ah, no problem. They'll get out of it." Then they're going to watch this episode and go, "Oh wow, I forgot that," Haas added.

"Chicago Fire" season 8 returns next week with episode 2 titled "A Real Shot in the Arm" and Otis is not yet forgotten. According to the official synopsis, Lt. Casey cannot get Chief Boden to sign off a new recruit. Meanwhile, Hermann finds inspiration from Otis to seek new partners at Molly's.

Chicago Fire Chicago PD Chicago Med crossover
Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and Chicago Med come together for a special One Chicago crossover event NBC

Furthermore, the show will shed light on Brett's new life after Otis' death. Considering how close they were, Brett's will have some real emotions to deal with along with her move to Fowlerton.

"Chicago Fire" season 8 episode 2 airs Wednesday, October 2 on NBC.