Syracuse Officer Evan Farewell Left the Hospital Waving a Bandaged Hand After Running Into a Burning Home Where Two Children, 2 and 4, Died

As the vehicle carrying Syracuse police officer Evan Farewell pulled away from Upstate University Hospital on Thursday, he waved through the window with a bandaged hand. Farewell had been hurt a week earlier running into a burning home on Jamesville Avenue, where two young brothers, ages 2 and 4, died, according to WSYR via Yahoo.

The fire has left a family grieving and a city honoring the first responders who went in. Farewell is recovering from smoke inhalation, respiratory burns, and burns to his face and hands, a spokesperson for his family said.

The Overnight Fire on Jamesville Avenue

The fire broke out around 1:42 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29, at 622-24 Jamesville Avenue, a two-family house in Syracuse’s Outer Comstock neighborhood, according to CNY Central. The first call reported children trapped inside.

Spectrum News reported that 13 people lived in the two-family dwelling. Syracuse Fire Chief Michael Monds said crews met high heat and zero visibility on the second floor.

The 2-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. The 4-year-old was taken out of the house alive and died over the weekend, according to Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, as reported by Spectrum News.

The family has not been named in this report. The American Red Cross assisted two adults and five children, CNY Central reported on the day of the fire, and the entire house was deemed unfit to live in.

Three Officers Go In Before the Firefighters

Three Syracuse police officers, Evan Farewell, Brian Atkinson and Dyerin Gareau, ran into the home to try to reach the trapped children before firefighters arrived, according to the WSYR report. The officers were the first emergency crews on scene, CNY Central reported, and found heavy fire at the rear and sides of the building.

Two officers arrived first and were told that several children were still inside. They found a child at the top of the second-floor stairway and brought the child out, handing the child to the Fire Department for medical care, CNY Central reported on the day of the fire.

Firefighters from Engine 8 arrived within minutes. Monds said they went upstairs into intense heat and near-zero visibility and “crawled on their bellies” to search for the people trapped inside.

Crews performed CPR on the 4-year-old, who regained a pulse before being taken to the hospital. Firefighters found the 2-year-old inside the home.

Officer Farewell’s Injuries and His Road Home

Farewell was severely hurt entering the burning house, according to WSYR. A family spokesperson said he is recovering from severe smoke inhalation, respiratory burns, and burns on his face and hands.

All three officers were injured. Police Chief Mark Rusin said they had smoke inhalation, and two of them had hand injuries, according to Spectrum News. Atkinson and Gareau also went home to recover, and CNY Central reported that all three officers are now out of the hospital.

Farewell was released Thursday, Nov. 5. A GoFundMe has been opened for him, CNY Central reported.

Syracuse Police Sgt. Thomas Blake praised the officers’ courage. He said the department is grateful for “the dedication and bravery demonstrated by these officers,” and extended well wishes to the officers, their families and others affected.

Two firefighters were evaluated at the scene and released, according to CNY Central’s first report.

What Investigators Have Said About the Cause

As of Thursday, Nov. 5, the cause of the fire had not been determined. Spectrum News also reported that the cause remained under investigation, and fire investigators left the scene on the day of the fire to analyze evidence, according to CNY Central.

The Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office has been involved. CNY Central’s follow-up reported that Fitzpatrick said at the weekend that the 4-year-old had died and a teenage girl was “fighting for her life.” Chief Assistant District Attorney Jarrett Woodfork said the office could not comment further because of the stage of the investigation.

Syracuse Commissioner of Code Enforcement Jake Dishaw told reporters that the house had outstanding violations, including no hot water, a damaged electrical outlet and a damaged oven. According to CNY Central, a tenant complaint had led to an investigation opened Sept. 25, an Oct. 16 inspection had found the problems, and the second floor was declared unfit for habitation. The owner, who lived on the first floor, had not complied with orders to fix them before the fire.

Officials have not said whether any of those conditions played a role. Dishaw said his office could act only when a violation posed an imminent threat, such as collapse or explosion, and that it had been unable to reach the owner.

A Neighborhood and a Hospital Show Their Support

When Farewell left Upstate University Hospital, dozens of Syracuse police officers, firefighters and other first responders lined the street outside to applaud him, WSYR reported. Hospital doctors, nurses and other staff came out to send him off. His vehicle was flanked by police escorts as he waved.

On the day of the fire, neighbors placed a memorial of teddy bears and candles on the front lawn of the house, according to CNY Central.

Support has also taken the form of fundraising. A GoFundMe has been opened for Farewell, and CNY Central cited a separate GoFundMe for the family in its coverage of the 4-year-old’s death. The Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office confirmed the names of the two boys on Monday, Nov. 2, and this report does not repeat them.

Mayor Sharon Owens held the news conference on the morning of the fire. Police Chief Rusin praised the responding officers, and Monds praised the firefighters’ work.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.

Image: Kiran891 – CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons