Vandergrift authorities rescue 12-year-old boy from burning house

Quick action by Vandergrift police officers using fire extinguishers Tuesday afternoon likely saved the life of a 12-year-old boy trapped in his upstairs bedroom, a Vandergrift fire chief said.

“They gave him a chance to survive. If it were not for the police using the extinguishers … there would have been more fire involvement and possibly a fatality. The fire would have grown enough to take his life,” Vandergrift Fire Company No. 1 Chief Randall Dunmire said.

The police officers used the extinguishers from their cruisers to fight the flames at the house in the 100 block of Franklin Avenue after initially being unable to rescue the boy. Dunmire said two officers lay on the top steps, calling out to the boy and keeping the flames down with the extinguishers.

Vandergrift firefighters, wearing air masks and using a hose to douse the flames, were then able to rescue the boy in his room. The boy had a good pulse when he was rescued, but he was unresponsive, Dunmire said.

The fire, reported at 2:40 p.m., was contained to the upper floor, Dunmire said. There was smoke and water damage in other sections of the house.

The boy, who was not identified, suffered burns and smoke inhalation, Dunmire said. He was taken to an awaiting medical helicopter at nearby Davis Field and flown to UPMC Mercy hospital in Pittsburgh.

The boy had attempted to escape the flames, but fire was between his room and the stairs, Dunmire said.

The boy’s mother, who was not identified, also suffered injuries when she attempted to rescue her son. She was taken to an area hospital for treatment, Dunmire said.

One of the children in the house, which is home to two families totaling 11 people, alerted adults to the fire on the third floor.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by a state police fire marshal in Greensburg, Dunmire said. He said he believes it was accidental.

Vandergrift firefighters were assisted by several neighboring fire companies, including Lower Burrell, Parks Township, Leechburg-Hyde Park, Lower Burrell, Oklahoma Borough and Washington Township, Dunmire said.

Dunmire said Thursday the condition of the boy and his mother were not yet known.

Damage to the house was limited to two upstairs bedrooms and two broken windows and is likely reparable, he said. For now, the Red Cross and Salvation Army are assisting the families.