Officer emerges a hero after fire

Gulu climbed a ladder, with the help of a bystander, and carried the 5-year-old down.

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

CAMPBELL — “I just thought I have to get them off that roof,” said Patrolman John Gulu, of a 5-year-old boy and his father, who were on the second floor porch roof at the front of their burning home.

Gulu definitely saved the boy, Richard Wilson, and his father, Eugene (Ken) Wilson, from more serious injury, and possibly even from death, another policeman said.

The father and son were listed in fair condition late Monday in Akron Children’s Hospital’s burn unit. The hospital would not discuss their injuries. Gulu, however, said the boy had burns on his head and arms, and the father had burns on his back and arms.

Because the city fire department is understaffed, on-duty policemen are first responders for fires. Sunday morning, that was Gulu.

Gulu said when he arrived on the scene at 25 Second St. at 10 a.m., the boy and his father were standing on the front porch roof of their three-story brick home. Flames were shooting out of the windows behind them.

The rescue

Gulu said the father told him there was a ladder in the backyard, and with the help of a bystander, who held the ladder, Gulu climbed up and carried Richard down. Richard’s father climbed down the ladder on his own.

To have jumped would have meant a two-story leap onto rough ground for the father and son.

Gulu, obviously uncomfortable with the attention, said of his actions: “I was just doing my job. If my family was in a similar situation I hope someone would do the same.”

The reluctant hero has been a full-time Campbell policeman since November 2006 and was a part-time Coitsville Township policeman for six years before that. The 30-year-old Gulu is married and has four young children.

In the meantime, while Gulu was rescuing Ken and Richard, their wife and mother, Brenda Kistner-Wilson, a daughter, Holly Wilson, 17, and a 19-month-old boy, Ron Wilson, were escaping onto the roof of a second floor porch at the rear of the home.

Fire Chief Nick Hrelec said he believes Holly scaled down a lattice and Brenda handed the baby to her. Then Brenda jumped about 12 feet to the ground. Because the house is built into a hill, Brenda’s jump was about one story, the chief said.

Details still missing

He said there is confusion about some details surrounding the fire because he had not talked to the Wilsons as of late Monday afternoon.

Hrelec said two other people, Teresa Smith and Robert Merrell, were in the basement floor of the house and escaped without injury. It is not known of they are related to the Wilsons. It was also unknown Monday whether the Wilsons own the home or are tenants.

The fire was discovered when Ron woke up in a second floor bedroom and told Holly “It’s hot. It’s hot,” according to reports.

Gulu said Brenda was not burned that he knew of, but broke her arm when she landed. She also was listed in fair condition late Monday in Akron Children’s.

Hrelec said the cause of the blaze is undetermined, pending further investigation by his department and the state fire marshal. The blaze appeared to have started in Richard’s bedroom and spread to the hallway, firefighters said.

In addition to the fire damage, there was extensive smoke and water damage. Though he had not developed a damage estimate, Hrelec said the house is a total loss.

alcorn@vindy.com