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Nine More Houses Go In Shenandoah

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Town Being Decimated by String of Fires

THE COAL REGION CITY OF SHENANDOAH, Pennsylvania, took another hit early yesterday morning (Saturday) as the outbreak of house fires did even more damage than usual.  In the past month there have been at least four fires in the town that have destroyed two or more homes.

Republican-Herald image

Nine row homes were destroyed in a fire so destructive that the investigators are having difficulty finding the cause of the fire.  The Hazelton Standard Speaker reported:

A woman who jumped from a third floor window to escape a fast moving fire inside her apartment building remains in critical condition at an area trauma center. Lisa Goida, 43, who lived at 36 W. Coal St. jumped as flames were consuming her apartment building, producing heavy smoke, state police at Frackville said.

The woman's boyfriend, Dean Tessitore, 52, was helped from an adjacent third-floor window by borough firefighters who arrived minutes after receiving the 3:20 a.m. call, Shenandoah police Patrolman Kirk Kirkland said. Tessitore was taken to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street and was released after being treated for smoke inhalation, state police said.

Borough fire marshal Rick Examitas said that Goida was taken to Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, by ambulance for treatment of serious injuries she suffered when landing on the cement sidewalk in front of her home. He said it was initially hoped to fly the woman to the Montour County trauma center but all medical helicopters were grounded due to inclement weather.

State police fire marshal Trooper Michael J. Kowalick, of Troop L headquarters in Reading, is investigating the fire with assistance from Trooper Thomas Finn.

They said it is believed the fire started in a second-floor, middle room of the apartment of Tessitore and Goida and spread from there. The exact cause of the fire remains undetermined due to a collapse of the area, state police said.

The Shenandoah Fire Chief quickly escalated the response to four alarms because of the rapidly growing fire in the old, wood-framed homes that are mostly sharing common roof spaces.

WNEP-TV image

WNEP-TV has more details plus a good video report HERE.

FIREandFILM.com has provided this extensive raw video taken during the fire:

 

Thanks to Carmine S.

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Posted by on February 24, 2013 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Major Incidents, Videos • Tagged: ,

And Another Downtown Fire in Shenandoah

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Almost a Monthly Event

THE SMALL, SCENIC, TOWN OF SHENANDOAH, Pennsylvania, must be running out of buildings soon with still another fire, this time in the business district.  This latest fire was discovered in the Thunder Road Bar on North Main Street by a patrolman at 5:10 am Friday morning.  The Pottsville Republican Herald is reporting:

Fire marshal Rick Examitas said Patrolman Michael O’Neill discovered smoke coming from the rear of Thunder Road and contacted the fire department.

After answering the a call for "smoke in a structure," Examitas said crews found smoke but no fire. Then, when they opened an access way to the basement the great extent of the fire was revealed.

Republican Herald photo

Examitas said firefighters tried to enter the building and attack the fire but were forced back by intense heat and dense smoke. "We decided to get everyone out for their own safety," he said.

Examitas said the fire seemed to have been burning for some time with the cinder block structure containing the flames for a while.  The emergency was quickly upgraded to four alarms bringing in crews from as far away as Schuylkill Haven, Tamaqua and Nuremberg Weston.

A tanker shuttle had to be set up to compensate for the town's low water flow and pressure.  The entire interior of the fire building was gutted, but the blaze was largely contained with just small damage to the beauty salon next door.

Republican Herald

The Republican Herald has the full STORY HERE.
Hat tip:  Carmine S.

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Posted by on August 10, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged:

Updated: Pennsylvania House Fire Kills 4 – Destroys 4 Homes.

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I visit the Firegeezer website every morning without fail as I check my emails
and do my "administrative stuff" before heading out. It is the only fire related website
I visit each and every day. You do a great job…keep it up

All Family Members

Update:  On-Scene Videos Added.  Scroll Down.

A HEAVY FIRE TUESDAY MORNING IN SHENANDOAH, Pennsylvania, spread through four houses in the town center leaving a woman and four children dead in the same house.  When the first fire unit arrived at 6:15 am there was already a well-involved fire in the house and had begun spreading along the rear of the neighboring homes.

Pottsville Republican-Herald

The victims were a 29-yr.-old woman, her son age 10, and two nephews  ages 7 months and 10 years.  A second son age 8 escaped the fire but was hospitalized with smoke inhalation and burns.

Republican-Herald

The fire marshal is still investigating the cause of the fire and autopsies were scheduled for today for the victims.  Very little other information has been released yet.

The Pottsville Republican-Herald has the STORY.
WFMZ-TV has more plus a good photo gallery HERE.

Hat tip:  Carmine S.

Update, Wed. morning:

TamaquaArea has posted six videos from the incident operation:

 

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Posted by on March 27, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: ,

Early-Morning Fire Destroys 5 Homes

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A FAST-MOVING FIRE IN THE HEART OF SHENANDOAH, PENNSYLVANIA, destroyed five homes and damaged three others early Saturday morning.  The alarm went out shortly after 2 am and several people awakened by the fire had to flee for their lives.  One man had to be rescued from the roof of his porch by the first-in fire units.  He was then taken to the hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

All photos via Republican Herald

Assisting the Shenandoah FD were units from Frackville, Englewood, Pottsville, Ringtown, Mahanoy City, Girardville, Ashland, Union Township and Shenandoah Heights.  It took them about three hours to bring the fire under control.

The State Police fire investigator arrived on the scene soon after and quickly determined that the fire started in a vacant house in the block.  Later on Saturday he was able to identify it as an arson.

The Pottsville Republican Herald has the STORY.

Posted by on October 3, 2010 • Filed under: arson, Fires • Tagged: ,