Lynch heroism in fire recognized

In mid-July, Tim Lynch was headed to the post office, when he saw the smoke.

Fast forward to Monday night at the end of December, and Lynch was on hand at the Coulee Dam Town Council meeting to receive a proclamation signed by the mayor to honor his "Extraordinary Bravery and Selfless Service" for having rescued three people from a housefire before emergency services arrived that day.

Mayor Bob Poch's proclamation, actually first issued in August but not presented in person until Monday, first states that "courage is not the absence of fear but the triumph over it," and that Lynch "demonstrated extraordinary bravery and selflessness by risking his own life to save a family trapped in a housefire on Camas Street on July 14, 2025."

Lynch "acted without hesitation, rescued a baby and 2 other occupants from the burning home, ensuring their safety before emergency services arrived," when his "swift and fearless actions prevented what could have been a devastating loss of life."

His "heroism reflects the highest ideals of civic duty, compassion, and humanity."

Fire Chief Ben Alling, who first approached the city about honoring Lynch last summer, told Lynch as he handed him the proclamation Monday, "I would like to thank you, too, for notifying the fire departments and getting them people out of the house. Otherwise, we would have had three fatalities that day."

The people inside, including a baby, had all been asleep until Lynch started pounding on the door and yelling "fire!" He didn't know if anyone was inside, but he'd seen a car on fire in the garage. As he stepped back from the house, an air conditioner slid out of a window and the baby was handed out to him. Jada Adolph, 25, and Talise Adolph, 17 soon followed.

Lynch, retired after 40 years working for the town, now has more than a memory of that adrenaline-filled morning.

"Let this proclamation serve as a lasting tribute to a true hero among us," reads the proclamation.