A family is in after a early morning fire killed two people and sent three fire fighters to the hospital.
Early Monday morning, a fire tore through a home on the 200 block of E. Madison Street in Lancaster, Anthony Smith and Scott Geiter lost two family members. "It sucks. We lost two people too early. It's not fair." Smith said. “Knowing that I can’t call her when I’m having a bad day. You have her one moment and then you don’t have her the next and you lose a little kid.”
The coroner has not released the names, but Smith and Geiter say the woman who died was 38-year-old Pauline Stone. The other victim, a six-year-old girl, was her niece. Her brother, Bill Stone and his 13-year-old son escaped the blaze.
The adults lived in the home, the children were visiting for the weekend.
Scott Geiter, the victim's brother-in-law says he thinks of her as a hero. “I call my sister-n-law a hero, because she got away from the fire and almost made it out of the house, but the smoke inhalation took their lives.”
Geiter says his sister-in-law died with her arm around her niece, as if she protected her until the very end.
Three firefighters, Craig Robertson, Tom Bender and Andre Kelly were injured and hospitalized. Kelly is at the Chester-Crozier Medical Center in critical condition.
“They went in there to risk their lives and save two people with no help. I just have the utmost respect for those two firefighters. They are heroes to our family.” Geiter says.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. But there has been some controversy surrounding this incident.
The family says that when firemen arrived the fire hydrant was dead and no water came out of it.
Fire Chief Tim Gregg says they experienced no lack of water that impaired their ability to fight the fire.
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A massive fire broke out in a row home at 225 East Madison Street in Lancaster City just before 4:30 Monday morning that left two dead.
An adult female who lived in home and a 6-year-old girl who was visiting both died on the scene. 42-year-old and 13-year-old occupants of the house were able to escape safely.
A total of three firefighters were injured while battling the blaze. Lt. Andre Kelly was on the second floor of the home when he suffered 2nd degree burns. He was flown to Chester-Crozier Medical center. Authorities say this morning his condition is critical but not life-threatening. Two other firefighters suffered minor injuries, they have both been treated at Lancaster General Hospital and released.
Police say the fire was contained to one home, causing minimal damage to neighboring properties. Five additional fire companies helped Lancaster City put out the flames this morning.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Early Monday morning, a fire tore through a home on the 200 block of E. Madison Street in Lancaster, Anthony Smith and Scott Geiter lost two family members. "It sucks. We lost two people too early. It's not fair." Smith said. “Knowing that I can’t call her when I’m having a bad day. You have her one moment and then you don’t have her the next and you lose a little kid.”
The coroner has not released the names, but Smith and Geiter say the woman who died was 38-year-old Pauline Stone. The other victim, a six-year-old girl, was her niece. Her brother, Bill Stone and his 13-year-old son escaped the blaze.
The adults lived in the home, the children were visiting for the weekend.
Scott Geiter, the victim's brother-in-law says he thinks of her as a hero. “I call my sister-n-law a hero, because she got away from the fire and almost made it out of the house, but the smoke inhalation took their lives.”
Geiter says his sister-in-law died with her arm around her niece, as if she protected her until the very end.
Three firefighters, Craig Robertson, Tom Bender and Andre Kelly were injured and hospitalized. Kelly is at the Chester-Crozier Medical Center in critical condition.
“They went in there to risk their lives and save two people with no help. I just have the utmost respect for those two firefighters. They are heroes to our family.” Geiter says.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. But there has been some controversy surrounding this incident.
The family says that when firemen arrived the fire hydrant was dead and no water came out of it.
Fire Chief Tim Gregg says they experienced no lack of water that impaired their ability to fight the fire.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
A massive fire broke out in a row home at 225 East Madison Street in Lancaster City just before 4:30 Monday morning that left two dead.
An adult female who lived in home and a 6-year-old girl who was visiting both died on the scene. 42-year-old and 13-year-old occupants of the house were able to escape safely.
A total of three firefighters were injured while battling the blaze. Lt. Andre Kelly was on the second floor of the home when he suffered 2nd degree burns. He was flown to Chester-Crozier Medical center. Authorities say this morning his condition is critical but not life-threatening. Two other firefighters suffered minor injuries, they have both been treated at Lancaster General Hospital and released.
Police say the fire was contained to one home, causing minimal damage to neighboring properties. Five additional fire companies helped Lancaster City put out the flames this morning.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.