Heat takes toll of firefighters
WEST BROWNSVILLE – Three firefighters were taken to area hospitals after battling a blaze that destroyed a vacant house and damaged a nearby home. West Brownsville Volunteer Fire Department Chief Todd King said a call reporting a fire at 323 Pittsburgh Road was received around 3:10 p.m. When the first firefighters arrived on scene they found a vacant house engulfed in flames and a nearby home also on fire.
“We concentrated all our effort to the occupied home first, and once we got it under control we took care of the vacant house,” King said.
According to King, both houses are owned by a man who recently purchased the properties. The houses are only about 4 feet apart and are separated by a sidewalk.
King said the man was in the process of tearing down the vacant house and was burning a pile of construction debris.
“He was tearing down the vacant house and had a little pile of wood near the rear of it he was burning. With the wood being so dry, the fire just got out of control in a matter of minutes,” King said.
King said heat and humidity played a toll on the firefighters, who had to climb more than 50 steps to gain access to the home, which is located on a steep hill overlooking Pittsburgh Road.
“It took all our energy just to get the hoses up over the wall to the house,” he said, noting that Fayette EMS set up a rehabilitation tent with sprinklers so the firefighters could cool off.
However, three firefighters still succumbed to the heat and were taken to area hospitals after suffering from shortness of breath and chest pain.
King said two firefighters from North Brownsville Volunteer Fire Department and one firefighter from Hiller Volunteer Fire Department were taken by ambulance to Uniontown and Mon Valley hospitals.
Their conditions were not known Wednesday night, but their injuries were not initially believed to be life threatening.
King credited the firefighters who worked hard in the heat to save the home that was lived in.
“We got there just in time,” he said, noting that home did sustain damage to the siding and roof. The heat from the fire also blew out some of the home’s windows.
West Brownsville Volunteer Fire Department was assisted on scene by volunteer fire departments from North Brownsville, South Brownsville, Hiller, California, Denbo-Vesta 6, Fredericktown, Roscoe and Richeyville.
In addition to Fayette EMS, Brownsville and Hiller ambulance crews also provided assistance.