- Credibility:
MONTCLARE — A Chicago firefighter’s 7-year-old son was killed and his wife and two other children were critically injured in a house fire Tuesday night, prompting well-wishers to start a fundraiser to support the family.
The fire broke out around 9 p.m. Tuesday in the 2500 block of North Rutherford Avenue, Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt said. A woman in her 30s and three young children suffered smoke inhalation, Merritt said.
They were rushed to various local hospitals in critical condition, according to police. The “lower level” fire was quickly extinguished and its cause is still being investigated, but preliminary reports say it started in the home’s kitchen, Merritt said.
Ezra Stewart, 7, was pronounced dead at 6:25 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
A fundraiser supporting Chicago firefighter Walter Stewart and his family is posted here. The Stewart family is facing an “unspeakable tragedy,” organizers wrote.
Stewart was on duty at his firehouse when he heard his home address come over the fire radio, according to the fundraiser. He found his house in flames and his wife and children in “grave condition,” according to the fundraiser.
The Sun-Times reported Stewart performed CPR on his wife after a fellow firefighter drove him to the scene.
Jim Tracy, president of Chicago Fire Fighters Union Local 2, encouraged people to support the family.
“Every member of Local 2 and the Department mourns with our brother Walter and the Stewart family,” Tracy said in a statement. “This tragedy weighs heavy on our hearts, and we pledge our ongoing support.”
Patrick J. Quane, a spokesperson for the union, added that “no donation is too small.” All funds will go directly to the Stewart family.
Merritt said Walter Stewart’s loss has been difficult for the entire department.
“Anytime someone faces a tragedy, especially when it’s one of our own, we keep them in our collective prayers,” Merritt said.
Listen to “It’s All Good: A Block Club Chicago Podcast”:
