CARBONDALE -- When firefighters responded to a call in Carbondale late Thursday night they found filth instead of flames.
The city's code enforcement officer says the house was so bad he condemned it on the spot.
Firefighters found filth and dangerous conditions inside the home where three young children lived with their family.
Carbondale firefighters didn't find flames when they were called here to this home on Darte Avenue. What they did find caused the place to be condemned before the fire trucks pulled away.
Chris Pezak is the fire chief and also Carbondale's code enforcement officer.
"One of my career firemen said to me, 'you have to go in this place and look at it.' which, when I approached the door from the outside, I could smell an odor, which I think is animal urine," Pezak recalled.
Pezak showed us pictures that of what he called countless problems, including dangerous electrical wiring that ran through puddles of water.
Seven people lived in the home. Pezak says the second floor, where three young children slept, did not have power.
"That's the saddest part, there were little babies, you know what I mean? They couldn't have been living in good conditions, it's sad, it's really sad to see," said Carbondale resident Mike Murphy.
The family agreed to leave the place. No one from the city has been able to contact the landlord.
"These houses have been here well over 100 years, and when you see something like this happen, it's a little piece of the town dying," said Carbondale resident Kim McCarthy.
"I'm hoping they find a better place to live," said Pezak. "I hope these landlords are more proactive and not just collect a paycheck, or a rent check and they do something about these properties because I'm sure there's a lot more like this."
We also tried to contact the owner of the home but were unsuccessful. We also did not hear back from Lackawanna County's Youth and Family Services so we don't know if the parents of the three small children will face any consequences.
