On Tuesday, Dec. 10, firefighters will receive the rare gift of meeting an individual they rescued from a house fire in Milwaukie, six months ago. The crews who responded to and performed the rescue will host 19-year-old Timm Wilson-Kreuger and his family to a fire house lunch at 11:30 a.m. at Milwaukie Station 2, 3200 SE Harrison St., Milwaukie. After extensive medical care, months in the ICU and continued rehabilitation, Timm has reached a point in his recovery where he is able to come and visit the crews who rescued him that day.
Lieutenant Justin McWilliams, who was part of the search and rescue effort said, “Our mission is simple, ‘To safely Protect and preserve life and property.’ What makes this career so rewarding, is to see the impact we truly have on our public. We have built a relationship and amazing bond with Tammi, Kevin and Timm over the last six months, following a significant fire that almost took everything from the Wilson family. We get to celebrate Timm’s recovery together at the firehouse, which is less than a mile from the address that brought us all together.”
Initial Incident Background
On June 13, 2019, crews were dispatched to a report that a house was on fire with occupants trapped inside. Firefighters arrived and found a single-story home with a large amount of black smoke and fire coming out of several windows. With reports confirming that someone was still inside, first arriving crews quickly made access to the home without the protection of a hose line to begin looking for the trapped individual. From witness reports and a quick systematic search, firefighters were able to locate 19-year-old Timm, who had locked himself in the hallway bathroom when the fire started. After locating him, the firefighting team was able to make their way in low visibility and high heat conditions to a front window where he was lifted out and handed to a team of waiting firefighters. Medical care was inititated before being transported to an area hosptial. Timm, who is Down syndrome and Autistic, ended up in the bathroom after becoming scared when an accidental cooking fire started in the kitchen. In addition to the quick actions of the firefighters, the closed door was credited for keeping the smoke and heat out of the bathroom and creating a survivable space for Timm in the minutes he waited to be rescued.
Members of the media are invited to attend this private family event.
Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019 at 11:30 a.m.
Milwaukie Station 2
3200 SE Harrison St., Milwaukie, OR 97222
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