Wymore firefighter dies battling house fire

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By ALGIS J. LAUKAITIS / Lincoln Journal Star

WYMORE —  Flags flew at half-staff Monday for Jeremy Wach, a 31-year-old  Wymore volunteer firefighter who died when the roof of a burning house collapsed, trapping him inside.

 Wach’s death was a shock and tragic loss to this community of about 1,600 people, but also across Gage County because Wach was  a deputy sheriff and the jail administrator.

“He was absolutely awesome,” said County Attorney Randy Ritnour. “He will be missed by all of us.”

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Firefighter Jeremy Wach died in this house fire in Wymore early Monday. (Courtesy photo)

The fire was still under investigation Monday by the Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s Office,  Ritnour said, and the cause won’t be known for several days.

 An autopsy performed Monday showed that Wach died from asphyxiation. “Basically, he couldn’t breathe because the roof was on his torso,” Ritnour said.

Gage County Sheriff Millard Gustafson said he called an early  morning meeting Monday to break the news to his sheriff and jail staffs.  He described Wach as a great guy who loved to bake, often bringing in sweet treats for his co-workers.

 “He just had a bubbly personality most of the time,” Gustafson said. “If you had a bad day, he would just give you a bear hug and lift you off the floor.”

Wach is survived by his wife, Melissa,  and two sons, one less than a year old and the other 3. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Wach was not a Wymore native but had lived in town for at least two years. The sheriff said Wach attended elementary school in Estes Park, Colo.

A 1995 Lincoln High School graduate, Wach served as a corporal at the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln and as a lieutenant at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution before joining the sheriff’s office as a deputy in November 2004, Gustafson said. The sheriff said he promoted Wach to jail administrator earlier this year because of his experience with the state Department of Correctional Services.

“That’s what so disheartening. We’re working towards building a new facility. He was my right-hand man. It’s going to be a hard, hard void to fill,” Gustafson said.

 Deputy Amanda Bay, who served as Wach’s assistant, has been appointed interim jail administrator, the sheriff said. She also has experience with the state Department of Correctional Services.

 Firefighters were called to a house fire at 719 W. I St. at 12:52 a.m. Monday. A woman and her two children were out of the house when the firefighters arrived, Ritnour said. They were not injured.

 Wymore Police Chief Bryan Davidson identified the residents as 51-year-old Teri Spencer, her 11-year-old son, and her 13-year-old daughter.

  Ritnour said Wach was among three firefighters who went into the house to knock down the flames.  When the roof collapsed, he said, one of the firefighters was able to get out by himself and another was assisted by a Gage County deputy and another firefighter. They escaped with minor injuries.  The Beatrice Daily Sun newspaper said the other firefighters were from Blue Springs. They were among 50-60 firefighters from Wymore, Blue Springs, Odell and Beatrice who fought the blaze, assisted by Wymore police and Gage County Sheriff’s officers.

 U.S. 77 through Wymore, which is 53 miles south of Lincoln, was  closed Monday morning to allow fire investigators to do their work. The green, one-story house sits near the highway. Strong winds helped the fire smolder most of the morning and kept firefighters busy putting out hot spots.

 Beatrice Fire Chief Brian Daake, who arrived on the scene about an hour after the fire was reported, said, “We were just trying to get things under control. It was chaotic.”  He said paramedics tried to resuscitate Wach but were unsuccessful. Wach was pronounced dead at the scene.

“This is definitely the hardest day of my life,” Daake said. “I know for the Wymore firefighters, it’s even harder for them.”

  Daake said Wach was always willing to lend a hand. He said Wach’s death will be a very big loss to the county.

 “I’ve known Jeremy professionally for the last couple of years. He’s a big man with a big heart. Lots of energy. We’re definitely going to miss him,” Daake said.

Wymore Fire Chief Gordon Michaelis declined to answer questions. By mid-morning, he was consoling and debriefing his firefighters. The department has about 33 members. Counselors were on hand to help firefighters and others cope with the emotional and psychological loss.

Wymore Mayor Dale Crawford, owner and publisher of the Arbor State  newspaper, said Wach not only served as a volunteer firefighter but also was another law enforcement presence in town. He said Wach often responded to medical emergencies, just to help out, even though he didn’t have to do so.

“Jeremy was one of those people that everyone seemed to know,” Crawford said. “To lose an individual like Jeremy leaves a big hole in your community.”

Crawford, who arrived at the fire at about 4 a.m., described the scene as an “emotional roller coaster,” in the aftermath of Wach’s death.

“They were very professional. They did their job at the scene, but when there was down time you could see it hit them,” Crawford said of the firefighters.  “I was with them all night and it still doesn’t seem real to me.”

 To his knowledge, Crawford said, Wach’s death was the first in the fire  department, whose history dates back more than a century.

“I don’t know if you could find a nicer guy, to be honest with you. When he came to classes he had that drive to keep kids safe. He wanted to protect innocent life,” said Laura Osborne of Auburn, coalition coordinator of the southeast Nebraska chapter of Safe Kids, a six-county organization that helps parents and caregivers with proper use of safety seats.

 “But at the same time you knew he was a family man because he spoke so highly of his wife and children,” Osborne said. Wach underwent training last July and became a nationally certified child passenger safety technician.

  Crawford described Wach as a dedicated volunteer firefighter.

“He took it very seriously but he died doing something he loved to do and that was fighting fires and helping people.”

Reach Algis J. Laukaitis at 402-473-7243 or alaukaitis@journalstar.com.