Officials identify woman killed in house fire in California Borough
Washington County’s coroner has identified a woman killed Monday night when fire swept through her California Borough home.
Coroner Tim Warco said Mildred Shrum, 87, was pronounced dead at her home on Monroe Way at 9:20 p.m. following the fire at her residence.
The fire broke out around 8:20 p.m.
Officials said a neighbor attempted to enter the home in an effort to pull Shrum from the burning residence but was overcome by smoke.
A volunteer firefighter also tried to get into the engulfed residence but was unsuccessful. Officials said the firefighter was taken to an area hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation. His identity and condition were not released.
Initially, firefighters were dispatched by Washington County 911 to respond to a garage fire on Union Street but found that the fire had spread from the adjacent garage to Shrum’s residence on Monroe Way when they arrived at the location.
Monroe Way is the alley between Third and Fourth streets and intersects with Union.
Warco said the cause and manner of death are pending the results of an autopsy.
Volunteer firefighters from California, Roscoe, West Brownsville, Brownsville and Fallowfield Township were called to fight the blaze.
The fire gutted the residence.
The state police fire marshal is investigating what sparked the blaze.