A devastating fire claimed the lives of two children and two adults in a house on South Paulina Street, West Englewood, early Wednesday. Chicago police reported the blaze started just before 2 a.m. An 8-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy died at Comer Children’s Hospital.
Two adults, later identified as a man and a woman, were taken to the University of Chicago Medicine with severe burns and were pronounced dead. One of the adults was named Reginald Lee Wilson, age 57, by the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Autopsies are set for Thursday.
Two other boys, aged 14 and 16, survived and are in stable condition at Comer. The authorities have not revealed the relationships among the victims.
“I wouldn’t want no one to leave me.”
Cadarius Wilson, 24, who was in the area visiting a friend, witnessed the blaze and acted swiftly. Seeing the flames, he dialed 911 and attempted to alert residents despite a locked gate preventing entry. He managed to save two teenage boys by catching them as they jumped from a window.
“I told them I am not going anywhere. Y’all can jump,” Wilson recalled. “I am right here to catch y’all. I am not going to leave.” After helping them to safety, he stayed to reassure and calm them, urging them to breathe.
Wilson’s actions, guided by his belief in helping others, reflect his upbringing. He emphasized, “I was only there doing what I can and I’m grateful for the things I was able to do while I was there.”
Fire officials, alongside Wentworth Area detectives, are conducting an investigation, currently treating the incident as an arson case.