La Grange Cops Saved Woman's Life During House Fire: Village

La Grange IL

10 June, 2022

8:00 AM

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LA GRANGE, IL – An elderly woman was rescued during a house fire last month in La Grange. But it wasn't firefighters who saved her life. It was the work of three police officers, who arrived first, the village said. Shortly before 11 p.m. May 25, Officer Parker Henderson grabbed a fire extinguisher from his car when he arrived at 327 S. Catherine Ave., the village said. This was while Sgt. Kenneth Uher and Officer Casey Gomorczak entered the house. Henderson attempted to put out the fire in the kitchen. The other two found the woman in an upstairs bedroom and carried her downstairs to the front porch, the village said. The woman was checked out by La Grange paramedics and then taken to the hospital. The three officers are set to be recognized at Monday's Village Board meeting. "If not for the officers' quick and decisive actions, the results may have been catastrophic," a village memo said. "Their actions are highly commendable and bring great credit to each personally, and to the La Grange Police Department, and the Village of La Grange." The woman, in her 90s, was in hospice, Fire Chief Terrence Vavra said in an interview last month. She died a day or two later, with her death unconnected to the fire, he said. Vavra said the fire started when the woman's daughter heated up soup on the stove. A broken gas line blew off gas and lit a nearby wall on fire, he said. The fire was contained in less than 15 minutes, he said.