LANSFORD, Pa. — Broken windows and the smell of smoke linger on East Ridge Street in Lansford. Thursday night, just before 11 p.m., crews were called to tackle a fire at a section of three row homes. Karl Lucas Jr. says he escaped his home through a window.
"I'm a pretty wide guy. I tried to get out, but my shoulders wouldn't go through, so I kinda wiggled. I have bruises and scrapes all down the side of me, but I just forcefully pushed myself out with my legs," described Lucas Jr.
Crews got Lucas down from the roof with a ladder.
The Lansford fire chief tells Newswatch 16 that the fire started in his home's kitchen, where an appliance was plugged into an extension cord.
"I can't even believe it's my house anymore. It's just gone, its ash," said Lucas Jr.
Lindsey Muse has six children, with one on the way. She tells Newswatch 16 that her barking dogs caught her attention and alerted her that something was wrong.
"I came downstairs, and there was smoke in the living room; the kids were on the 3rd floor, and by the time we got up, there was smoke," recalled Muse.
Five people were sent to the hospital with minor injuries. People who live in the row home say they're thankful everyone is expected to be okay.
"This is definitely one of my nightmares. You don't think it will happen to you, and it happened really fast. It was very terrifying. Our kids were sleeping. They had to get woken up. They were terrified," described Muse.
The cause of the fire has been ruled accidental.
The Red Cross is assisting the families impacted by the fire.