Man Found Dead After Calling 911 To Report Fire In Home
MONONGAHELA, Pa. (KDKA/AP) - Authorities in western Pennsylvania say a man was found dead after calling 911 to report a fire in his home.
Emergency officials in Washington County said the blaze was reported shortly after 3 a.m. Sunday in a home in Monongahela.
"My fire pager went off and I just came across the street like I would any other time, put my pants on, run out the house, and the whole first floor of the house was glowing," said Chad DeSantis, as he recounted what happened early Sunday morning when he received a page from Carroll Township Fire Department about a house fire.
DeSantis, a volunteer firefighter with Carroll Township, was the first firefighter to see the flames coming from his neighbor's home on Lawton Street in Monongahela early Sunday morning. He used his garden hose to start fighting the fire, before other firefighters arrived.
"I grabbed the garden hose and ran across the street and hollered to see if anybody need any help. Nobody answered, so I did what I needed to do and put the wet stuff on the red stuff, like they tell us to," added DeSantis.
He didn't know that still inside the home, was his neighbor and friend 67-year-old James Huffstickler, also known as "Huffy." The two had been together the night before the fire.
"Jim was one of the nicest people I know. He'd give you the shirt of your (his) back ... always come out and help you if there was any kind of project going on. Jim and I were just out at a concert down at the Monongahela Aquatorium last night.
The Washington County coroner reported it was James Huffstickler who called 911 to report the fire. Firefighters found him on the second floor of the home. The fire began on the first floor. Huffstickler's mother, 95-year-old Esther Huffstickler, was able to get out of the house.
"I guess she was lucky enough to escape the flames and ran outside," said DeSantis, "and they found her in the backyard."
Neighbors say the 95-year-old mother is being treated at a local hospital and is doing fine. The Pennsylvania State Police fire marshal's office is investigating the cause of the fire.
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