SHICKSHINNY, Pa. — A fire destroyed a home in Shickshinny early Wednesday morning, leaving four people dead.
Crews were called to Furnace Street around 7:15 a.m.
The owner tells us four of his family members died in the fire, and he and three others made it out.
Video shows what the fire looked like just after 7 a.m. Wednesday when it broke out.
Seconds before, Michael Shoemaker tells us he and two of the children who lived in the jumped out of a second-story window, and his brother-in-law crawled out from a side window.
"My wife woke me up at 10 minutes to 7 and said, 'Come on, it's time for work.' And I hear somebody screaming. I had no clue what was going on. Opened my bedroom door; it's all black smoke at that point to my bedroom. I said, 'Come on, it's a fire. We've got to get out.' So I jumped out the window, and I said, 'You guys all follow me, and I'll catch you all, I'll save you.' And my boy Riley Shoemaker jumped out. Riley's doing well. They're going to keep him for observation tonight. Gavin came out head first. Gavin, my son, he's on his way to Lehigh Valley. I know he's doing well. I lost my wife and my 15-year-old son Michael Shoemaker Jr.," Shoemaker said.
Shoemaker said the fire also took the lives of his mother-in-law and his nephew.
"I feel bad for his mom. You know, it's just a time of need right now that I need my family and friends. I don't know what else to say. I'm lost for words. And then some things can be replaced, but they can't," Shoemaker said.
Shoemaker tells us his two sons who jumped out of the window with him are being treated at area hospitals but are expected to be OK. He says his brother-in-law also made it out.
"I promised my wife if something happened, I would take care of my brother-in-law, and I'm going to stick to my word. I don't know where I am going to go yet. My brother said I could stay at his house. I got a lot to think about it. A lot happened this morning."
"By the time I got around the house with the kids, when I seen my wife and son didn't get out, it was fully gone. By the time they got here, there was oxygen tanks in the house that kept exploding. which probably, I guess, ignited it even more of the fire than what happened."
Shoemaker says those oxygen tanks belonged to his mother-in-law, who did not make it out of the fire along with his nephew, wife, and his eldest son.
"He was supposed to start working at Duke Pizzeria tomorrow, first job ever. And it's all double shot. It's all been done in 20 minutes gone. You know, too young."
But in the midst of so much loss and pain, Shoemaker says he has found something to be grateful for.
"A lot of people in this town, Shickshinny, I grew up here. It's where my family's from, and they've been a big help. They pulled together this community. You could fight and argue anybody you want in this town, but when something like this happens, they're there for you. And I appreciate everybody came out and helped me today. Thomas' Market, my boss Beverly and the owner Chris and I appreciate what you're doing for me. And my family does too."
There is no word on the cause of the deadly fire.
Friends of the family have set up a GoFundMe fundraiser to help the family. You can find it by clicking here.
Below is the video from the 6 p.m. newscast:
Newswatch 16 has a crew at the scene and will bring you more information as it becomes available.
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