Richmond man rescues
father from burning home
By SARAH SUTSCHEK – ssutschek@nwherald.com
RICHMOND – The village’s fire chief is hailing a Richmond man after he went back into a burning home late Monday to save the life of his father.
“The hero of the story is [Timothy Widen], who went back in and pulled out his dad,” Fire Chief Rick Gallas said. “That’s how he sustained his injuries.”
Timothy J. Widen, 56, was flown to Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee with burns on 35 percent to 40 percent of his body, Gallas said. His injuries were mostly to his back and the back of his head.
James H. Widen, 82, was flown to Loyola Medical Center in Maywood with inhalation burns, Gallas said. Both were in serious to critical condition Tuesday afternoon.
Timothy Widen’s wife, Susan, 57, also was home at the time, but she escaped uninjured.
Fire crews were dispatched at 11:19 p.m. to a raised ranch house at 8004 Route 31 and found flames showing.
“Along with the cold weather, we dealt with an electrical issue,” Gallas said. “There was a lot of electrical arcing on the lower floor of the building that created a severe hazard for our crews.”
The fire was under control but not fully extinguished within about 30 minutes, and crews remained on the scene until about 3:30 a.m., he said.
“The occupants were awoken by a loud popping or explosion-type sound and found the house to be on fire,” Gallas said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, Gallas said, but it appears to be accidental.
The family had two dogs, one of which died in the fire. Animal Control will be caring for the other, Gallas said.
Also on the scene were crews from Spring Grove, Wonder Lake, Hebron, McHenry Township, Fox Lake, Crystal Lake, Antioch and Woodstock. Several crews from Wisconsin also responded, including Salem, Randall, Twin Lakes, and Bloomfield-Genoa City. McHenry County Sheriff’s Police also assisted.
