Smoke hinders dad in rescue attempt

By Jon Yates
Chicago Tribune
Copyright 2007 Chicago Tribune Company

CHICAGO — With smoke billowing and flames spreading inside his South Side home early Sunday, James Watkins kicked in a basement window and whisked two children to safety.

But Watkins was unable to find a third child, his 17-year-old son, Jerrell, who died in the blaze.

"I brought two out of there, and I went back in to look for the oldest," Watkins, 39, said, standing in front of the charred two-flat in the 200 block of East 136th Street. "There was too much smoke. I took in about three-lungs full. That's about all I could find."

Watkins' brother, Rick Jackson, said firefighters found Jerrell on the stairs leading up from the basement. He was pronounced dead of carbon monoxide poisoning at 2:55 a.m. at Roseland Community Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

"He's going to be missed," Jackson said. "We all loved him."

Fire investigators were still on the scene early Sunday afternoon. Fire Media Affairs Cmdr. Will Knight said the blaze broke out shortly before 1:30 a.m. He said the department had not yet determined a cause.

The house was equipped with two smoke detectors, but neither was operational, Knight said. A 43-year-old woman who lived in the upstairs apartment suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to Roseland, but her condition was not known, Knight said.

Watkins said eight children were in the house when the fire broke out -- four of them his children, the other four nieces and nephews. All the children were awake at the time, some playing video games, others talking.

Watkins said he smelled smoke and fled, then realized not everyone had made it out. He kicked in a basement window and grabbed two of the children then went back outside. When he realized Jerrell hadn't made it out, he kicked in another window leading to his son's basement-level bedroom. He felt around in the smoke for Jerrell's bed but could not find his son.

Unable to handle any more smoke, Watkins fled the house again.

Watkins said his son was a junior honor student at Corliss High School, where he was a champion wrestler.

Jerrell's sister, Carerra Watkins, 16, said she will miss her brother's smile, among other things.

"Just being around him," she said. "Just hearing his voice."