Richmond man burned saving father-in-law from house fire

A 56-year-old Richmond man was severely injured late Monday night after running back into his burning home to save the life of his 82-year-old father-in-law, officials said.

Both men are in critical condition after surviving the fire at 8004 Route 31 that ignited after 11 p.m., Richmond Fire Protection District officials said.

Officials said the unnamed 56-year-old man and a woman escaped the flames after waking up and hearing the house burning around them. After ensuring the woman was safe, the man ran back into the home to pull out his father-in-law, officials said.

The 56-year-old man was flown by Flight for Life to Columbia St. Mary's Hospital in Milwaukee with burns over 40 percent of his body. The 82-year-old victim was flown to Loyola Medical Center in Maywood with smoke inhalation and burns, officials said.

The woman was not injured, fire officials said.

Fire officials said the flames were under control about 11:45 p.m., but electrical issues prevented firefighters from completely extinguishing the blaze until after midnight.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, officials said.

Fire departments from Spring Grove, Wonder Lake, Hebron, McHenry Township, Fox Lake, Crystal Lake, Antioch and Woodstock assisted at the fire.