West Englewood house fire that left 4 dead, 2 injured being investigated as arson
Two children and two adults are dead, and two other children are injured after a house fire in Chicago's West Englewood neighborhood early Wednesday morning, Chicago police said.
The Chicago Fire Department battled the 2-11 alarm fire in the 6000 block of South Paulina Street, which was extinguished just before 3 a.m. CFD said six people were rescued from the fire and initially taken to local hospitals in serious condition.
Chicago police later said that a man and a woman suffered severe burns and were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition. Four kids, including three boys, ages 14, 15, and 16, and an 8-year-old girl, were taken to Comer Children's Hospital.
Police confirmed that the two adults, the 8-year-old girl, and the 15-year-old boy later died.
Antonio Wilson said the two adults who died were his parents, 57-year-old Lisa Brown and 62-year-old Reginald Wilson. The names of the children who died have not been released.
"Seeing this house just so destroyed and burned, it just, it don't feel like home no more. So, I don't really have a home no more," he said. "Every time I see that porch, it just reminds me of home and family, and to come see it look like that, it hurt."
Antonio Wilson said his mother was fostering two sets of siblings – the brother and sister who died in the fire, and the two other children who survived.
"Being a foster parent is something she wanted to do. She got into it, because it was something she wanted to do," he said. "The kids, the ones that's gone, I miss them. They were great. They're in every family photo."
The Department of Children and Family Services said in a statement, in part, "DCFS received a report of this incident from law enforcement early the morning of May 20 and is working in cooperation with local law enforcement to investigate and confirm the identity of the individuals involve [sic], none of which are believed to be youth in care."
A good Samaritan who helped rescue two teenage boys from the home said he was at the right place at the right time, but couldn't go back to save the others who were still inside.
He was in the area while trying to visit a friend, but realized he was on the wrong block. That's when he got out, heard dogs barking, and saw the flames.
"By the time I moved around to the back, I seen two boys trying to get out from the top. I pulled the gate, yanked the gate from out the ground to get to the back of the yard, and I caught the boys from out the window," said Cadarius Wilson.
Eduardo Ramos runs a 24/7 tire repair shop nearby, and said he saw the flames from the fire and ran towards the home to help, along with a few others.
"I'm human. That's what made me run down there, and go down there, and do what I had to do, rescue whoever I can," he said. "We told him to jump and let go, and when he let go and we caught him – him and his brother – and dragged them away from the house to stay away from the burning house."
Lifelong West Englewood resident Norman Hall said he's been trying to reach the children's biological mother.
"She had three children of her own, two boys and a girl that stayed there with the foster lady. I don't know if she had children of her own, but I know it used to be a lot of little children playing there as well."
Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th) said the cause of the fire is under investigation. Police confirmed it was being investigated as an arson case.
Lopez asked neighbors to check their Ring camera video for suspicious activity.
The alderman said Chicago police told him they had been called to the house multiple times. He indicated a possible issue with other people on the block.
"There are better ways to resolve issues when you don't get along with your neighbors, or if you have issues with somebody else. You don't set their home on fire. You don't endanger the lives of innocent children sleeping at midnight," he said.
If the fire was intentionally set, Antonio Wilson had a message for the arsonist.
"You were wrong. These are innocent people that you targeted. It was for nothing," he said.
Again, DCFS said they believe none of the children are in youth care. Area 1 detectives are investigating.