A devastating blaze in Munster, Indiana claimed the life of a 3-year-old boy and left his parents severely injured on Monday. The Munster Fire Department reported being called to the scene at approximately 11:16 a.m. on the 900 block of Cornwallis in the Cobblestones subdivision, as per a statement obtained by the Chicago Tribune.
A quick-thinking delivery driver, alarmed by the emerging fire, encountered one of the residents who disclosed that a child was still in the burning home. Despite efforts by the driver and the parent to rescue the boy, the engulfing smoke and rapidly spreading flames thwarted their attempts, officials say. Officials confirmed the tragic outcome revealing the youngster did not survive.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office, which was dispatched to handle the fatal incident, has deferred the release of the child's identity until the notification of his parents, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. The boy's mother, after initial local hospital treatment, endured an airlift to the University of Chicago hospital due to the severity of her injuries. The father, placed into a medically induced coma to aid in his recovery, remains under hospital care.
According to local residents, the tragic event sent shockwaves through the community, as neighbors recounted the horrifying moments. "She was screaming that, 'My baby is – my baby's gone,'" said Robert Wojtowich, unearthing the mother's anguish in an interview with ABC7 Chicago. The father, having also emerged from the inferno, collapsed and made a desperate attempt to re-enter the residence, driven by the dire need to save his child.
Kim Mullens, a neighbor, described the young boy as "precious," a sentiment echoed by those who knew him in the area. The Munster Fire Department added that it has been several years since the community faced a tragic fire incident involving a child, marking this event as particularly heart-wrenching. The remaining siblings of the young boy were at school during the time of the fire. Fire Chief Mark Hajduk expressed the breadth of the tragedy, stating, "Any loss of life is terrible for us, but when you talk about a child, it's really hard. That's the hardest thing there is," in a statement to ABC7 Chicago.
The State Fire Marshal has taken up the investigation into the cause of the fire, with assistance from multiple fire departments across Indiana and Illinois, including Highland, Dyer, Merrillville, and Schererville, along with South Holland, Lansing, Calumet City, Flossmoor, Homewood, Thornton, Glenwood, and East Hazel Crest from Illinois.
