His mother and teachers jokingly call him the “demon child,” a mischief-maker who could pass as the real-life Dennis the Menace.
But 11-year-old Patrick Cummins proved Monday that even a rapscallion can possess a gracious heart. The Mary Lyon Elementary School 4th grader rescued his 19-year-old blind brother after a fire broke out in their Northwest Side home Monday night.
For his heroics, Patrick received a Citizen Award of Valor from the Chicago Fire Department. Chief John Nance, of the 2nd District, presented the framed certificate during a ceremony Tuesday at Patrick’s house, 3010 N. Austin Ave.
“He’s such a little demon, but I always knew he had a big heart,” Lori Cummins said of her son. “He may be a troublemaker, but when it comes right down to it, he’d do anything for anybody, especially his brother.”
Patrick and a friend were cleaning the Cumminses’ basement Monday, when a propane torch ignited. Chicago Fire Department officials say the torch, which was leaking propane, was ignited by the pilot light in the clothes dryer. Fire quickly spread to a pile of clothing. Before long, 5-foot flames jumped into the air, Patrick recalled.
Flames created a wall of fire that separated Patrick from his brother Danny. Patrick and a friend tried to douse the flames with a hose, but that only made it worse, they said.
Meanwhile, a friend of Danny’s attempted to stomp out the blaze. His pants caught fire and he ran from the house. P.J. Cummins, Patrick’s 22-year-old brother, raced downstairs and poured salt onto the fire.
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When all their attempts failed to douse the flames, everyone ran from the house–everyone except Danny, who has a degenerative eye disease, and Patrick.
“Danny was crying and saying, `Get me out, get me out,”‘ Patrick recalled. “He was afraid to go around the fire. He just stood there crying.”
Patrick said he picked up the fiery torch, ran it to the door and tossed it outside.
Patrick’s friend, Mike Spano, said everyone was huddled outside the basement door when the burning torch came flying.
“I just thought, `Man, who did that?’ ” Spano said. “I thought there’s no way Patrick is brave enough to pick up a torch on fire like that.”
“Yeah, it was hot, but I wasn’t leaving Danny,” Patrick said. “I knew he couldn’t get out by himself.”
Danny, who is 6-foot-5 and weighs 320 pounds, would have had difficulty squeezing between the flames and a nearby wall.
Lori Cummins, who was visiting a relative in the hospital, rushed home when a neighbor paged her with the news.
“I was so afraid Danny would be trapped with no way to get out,” she said. “I have to laugh at myself for saying this, but “Thank God for Patrick.’ “