A man is dead after saving another man’s life early Tuesday morning. On Tuesday, March 31st at 12:45 a.m. the Montgomery County Sheriff’s office received a call reporting that a house trailer was on fire at 2011 Old Brushy Trail in Walshville near Bond County and that there may be someone inside. 

A Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Deputy and a Trooper with the Illinois State Police arrived just before 1:00 a.m. There were multiple neighbors on the scene that were attempting to remove the subject from the residence. The Deputy and Trooper assisted in removing the subject from the home. 32-year-old Jeffrey D. Dunkirk of Staunton was pronounced dead at the scene by the Montgomery County Coroner Randy Leetham. 

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Investigator, Coroner’s Office, Illinois State Police Crime Scene, and the Illinois Fire Marshal’s Office assisted in the investigation and determined that the fire was an accident. Mr. Dunkirk was at the residence visiting the homeowner and attempted to stoke a wood burner within the home by using fuel. That caused an explosion and fire which injured Dunkirk. Dunkirk and the homeowner then retreated to the back of the home since the fire was next to the homes only exit. A badly burned Mr. Dunkirk assisted the homeowner out of a small bathroom window and he then collapsed. 

Multiple agencies assisted at the scene, the Litchfield Fire Department, the Taylor Springs Fire Department, the Mt. Olive Fire Department, the Greenville Fire Department, and the Hillsboro Area Ambulance Service.  

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said in the press release, “Many people within the neighborhood are to be praised for assisting, but especially Mr. Dunkirk for helping another human before himself.”