Chicago firefighter's son, 7, dies in house blaze as wife and two daughters fight for life
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: A 7-year-old son of a Chicago firefighter tragically died after a fire broke out at the family's home that also injured his two young sisters and mother. Ezra Stewart was pronounced dead at 6:25 pm on Wednesday, March 8, a day after the fire broke out in a house at 2554 N. Rutherford Ave, right off Wrightwood Avenue.
Firefighter Walter Stewart was on duty when he diverted to his home, where he performed CPR on his 34-year-old wife himself. He was on a different crew from the one that was dispatched to the 2500 block of North Rutherford Avenue on Tuesday night, but a department employee drove him there after hearing his address over the scanner. Upon their arrival in the Montclare neighborhood, the crew found Walter’s wife and their three children suffering from smoke inhalation, according to Chicago Suntimes.
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How the fire broke out at Walter’s residence?
The four family members were immediately rushed to the local hospital, where the mother and two girls, aged two and seven are still in an unconscious state. In pictures and video taken at the site, a fire vehicle is seen parked on a residential street with a group of more than a dozen fire and police personnel standing in front of a building. On Wednesday morning, a deceased pet was seen being removed from the property, DailyMail reported.
An investigation into the tragic accident has been launched by Chicago Fire Department officers, who are working to determine the cause of the fire. Department spokesman Larry Langford said the blaze started in the kitchen and spread across the property. He also noted that smoke detectors in the house were working when the tragedy occurred. Following the accident, he heard a loud bang and saw flames ripping through the building.
'I see flames coming out of the kitchen window'
"I was shocked. There were so many firefighters leaving, so many police. It's crazy. It hits so close to home, right across the street," neighbor Mildred Bran said. Another neighbor, John Marlovitz, said, "I heard a pop, looked out my dining room window, and I see flames coming out of the kitchen window. Promptly called the fire department and they were here very quickly. They broke down the front door."
On Wednesday morning, the Alderman of the 36th Ward, Gil Villegas, visited Watler’s residence and heard about the plan to hand out smoke detectors in the neighborhood to remind residents to update their alarm batteries. "We're praying the wife and children get well and recover quickly," he said. “They're a blue-collar, working-class family. The family was just your typical Chicago family in the bungalow beltway. They keep to themselves.” The Chicago Fire Department's charity, Ignite the Spirit, confirmed that it's working to raise funds for the family. A spokesperson for the Chicago Fire Fighters Union Local 2 said they are also working to put together a fund. Additional details will be released at a later date.