When William Werts, Jr. rushed into a burning townhome with a fire extinguisher to rescue a woman trapped inside, he wasn’t trying to be a hero.
A blaze had started on the upper floors of a house on Springer Street in Wilmington on the morning of Nov. 25, 2020, and Werts was working his usual maintenance job nearby. When he tried to enter the burning house from the front door, he was pushed back by a wall of smoke and debris.
He ended up crawling through a back entrance, shouting to the trapped 58-year-old woman as he tried to reach her.
“Come to me,” he recalled saying.
The woman said she couldn’t move and, eventually, stopped responding.
Werts tried to use the fire extinguisher on the door, only for the backdraft to send flames rushing in his direction. The smoke was growing worse, Werts said, and the flames were getting bigger. Firefighters eventually helped him out of the house, from which he was taken to the hospital for treatment.
The woman upstairs did not end up surviving. Still, Werts’ bravery earned him national recognition on Tuesday when the Carnegie Hero Fund announced Werts as one of its 16 award recipients from across the nation.
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“A lot of times these people don’t really realize how important their actions were until long after it happened,” said Carnegie Hero Fund Commission spokeswoman Jewels Phraner.
Werts said that someone whose identity was unknown had nominated him for the award. His profile, along with over 80 others, was assessed by a team of investigators, who ultimately chose him as a winner after speaking to witnesses and experts.
Along with the title, Werts will receive a $5,500 grant as well as financial assistance in the future for medical needs or continuing education. If the award is given after someone’s death, the funds are used to pay for funeral costs.
“Hearing about inspiring stories is an important part of recognizing humanity,” Phraner said.
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She said that most contestants, like Werts, are very humble about their achievements. The competition has been around for over 115 years and has given out over $4 million in grants.
Now, gifted with a new recognition and over two years past the fatal fire, Werts still finds himself thinking about the house on Springer Street sometimes.
“I just tried to do what I thought was best to try and save a life,” Werts said. “I didn’t do it to get recognition or anything like that.”
Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on Twitter at @h_edelman.
