GIRARDVILLE, Pa. — Fire officials say a cloud of smoke was seen rising from a home in the 200 block of A Street in Girardville after 7 a.m. Thursday. At the time, Girardville Police Chief Fred Lahovski was serving an arrest warrant and carrying out a search warrant.
"While they were still conducting the search, we were transporting the targeted parties down to prison for arraignment, and a citizen came running up about a block away saying that there was a house fire," said Chief Lahovski.
The chief says neighbors had broken down the front door of the house right next to where the fire started to look for someone inside. He says he told them to step aside and ran up to the second-floor bedroom to find a 90-year-old woman fast asleep.
"Her house was filling with smoke through the walls. I’ve been in the chaos of society for a real long time, so you just move methodically. Initially, there’s really a void of emotion. It was just a matter of finding her, getting her up, and getting her out safely."
Thomas Cress lives right down the street and had just come home from work. He made a rescue of his own.
"I was in the house working, then the sirens went off. The fire truck was right out front, and smoke started pouring out. I figured I’d go in and get the cats first, get them all out of there. I didn’t know how far it was going to roll over. It was a couple doors over yet," Cress recalled.
Girardville's fire chief says the home where the fire began housed a family of four, and it's been destroyed. The homes right next to it sustained damage as well. Several pets were killed in the blaze, but there were no other injuries.
Chief Lahovski says it could’ve been far worse if not for firefighters’ quick response.
"They suppressed the fire very quickly. The whole block could’ve gone up. It was a precarious situation, but they handled it admirably," Lahovski said.
"You can always replace property, valuables, whatever, but you can’t replace a life. so, I mean, it was a good day," Cress added.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.