Bloomington Police officer rescues man from burning home

Posted on May 5, 2022

BLOOMINGTON – A Bloomington Police officer rescued a man from a burning west side home Wednesday evening.

The man is hospitalized with burns, but the officer is fine, according to Bloomington Police Lt. Clayton Arnold.

Bloomington Fire Department Battalion Chief Gavin Pitcher said firefighters saw fire and smoke coming from the back of the two-unit apartment house in the 1000 block of West Jackson Street, near South Western Avenue.

Lt. Arnold said the man refused to come out of the building because he was trying to put out the fire, so the officer went inside to get him.

The man suffered burns and was treated at a local hospital. His condition is not known.

The officer said he smelled like smoke, but was not hurt.

Investigators determined the cause of the fire was unattended cooking. The dollar estimate of damage to the house was not available.

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…