Four Officers Honored For Rescuing Residents From Burning Home

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — Four police officers were recognized earlier this month for rescuing residents from a rapidly spreading house fire.

Officers Campbell, Landeros, Miller and Reyes were honored during an April 7 city council meeting for their life-saving actions in February when they entered a burning home to help get residents out, according to police.

Crystal Lake Fire Chief Craig Snyder said body camera footage shows officers first entering the home at 3:13 p.m. and moving through the area where the fire had started. At the time, ceiling temperatures were estimated between 150 and 200 degrees with worsening smoke conditions, he said.

Just two minutes later, the fire had spread from the kitchen across the living room ceiling toward the front entrance, with the kitchen fully involved and temperatures in kitchen, which is where the fires started, reached 900 to 1,000 degrees, Snyder said.

"Ceiling temperatures in the room of origin (kitchen) would have been approximately 900 to 1000 degrees, with temperatures near 300 degrees at the 4-foot level from the floor," Snyder said. "Smoke and heat conditions had deteriorated to the point that they would have been non-survivable in the kitchen or the adjacent hallway where the officers first located the resident.”

Footage from b0dy-worn cameras shows the officers heroic actions.

"Thanks to their quick thinking, teamwork, and dedication to protecting life, all residents were safely rescued.We are proud to recognize these officers for their courage and commitment to our community," according to a post on the city of Crystal Lake Facebook page. "Their actions reflect the very best of our department’s mission and values."