Current:Home > InvestNeighbor risks life to save man, woman from house fire in Pennsylvania: Watch heroic act -CapitalEdge
Neighbor risks life to save man, woman from house fire in Pennsylvania: Watch heroic act
View
Date:2025-04-19 14:07:53
In a dramatic rescue, a brave neighbor is seen pulling residents out of a Pennsylvania home that became engulfed by black smoke.
In the video from the incident on April 14, you can hear on lookers yelling for one of the men to get out of the Minersville home, 100 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Firefighters below can be seen hastily getting their equipment ready to bring the man to safety, according to Storyful.
“Come on! Come on! Come on!” yelled Janeen Huth, a passerby who recorded the heroic scene as she was on her way home. “Come on buddy, get out!”
People in the street are heard yelling for the man to get out of the house through the top floor window.
The brave citizen, identified as Oscar Rivera, pulled the man from the window while balancing himself on the roof.
“Grab his pants!” Huth said.
Rivera then pulled the man through the window. People that were watching in the street clapped and cheered for the man’s rescue. A firefighter is then seen climbing up a ladder to bring the man and woman, that were already on the roof, to safety.
In a split second, the smoke gained more momentum and got thicker, making it hard to see the three people on the roof.
“Come on get them down!” Huth said. “Just move her over!”
A firefighter was able to get all three of the people from the roof and to safety.
Huth told Storyful that Rivera saved the woman and elderly man as his children witnessed their father’s heroic event unfold.
Fire destroys:Copenhagen's historic Old Stock Exchange as residents race to save treasures
Minersville Mayor thanked brave neighbor and others for springing into action
In a Facebook post, Minersville Mayor Sean Palmer thanked Oscar Rivera for helping to bring his neighbors to safety.
“First of all I would like to publicly thank the individuals who sprung into action to save those two individuals,” Palmer wrote in the post. “Mr. Rivera was a civilian who was first on the scene. He showed bravery and was able to extract a man and women from the top floor window of the burning building.”
Palmer then thanked the firefighters who helped during the rescue.
“I would also like to recognize the two volunteer fire fighters who went up ladders to the top floor to get them all down,” Palmer said. “Fire Chief Mike Melochick from the Mountaineer Hose Company #1 and volunteer fire fighter Luke Heffron from Minersville Fire Rescue. These two volunteer fire fighters went up the ladder to get all three of them off the roof and out of harms way.”
Palmer said that both firefighters were treated for severe smoke inhalation but are expected to be okay.
Red Cross says multiple people were displaced because of the fire
The Red Cross Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter helped the families that were impacted by the fire.
"Our Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter did respond and provided support to the 19 people impacted by this fire," Stephanie Fox, media relations lead for the American Red Cross National Headquarters told USA TODAY. "Support provided included immediate assistance and caseworker assessment of each families situation and what individual needs they may have."
Fox said 15 adults and four children were helped by the Pennsylvania Chapter.
Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X @forbesfineest.
veryGood! (54828)
Related
- Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
- How CLFCOIN Breaks Out as the Crypto Market Breaks Down
- Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Husband Ryan Anderson Break Up 3 Months After Her Prison Release
- What to know about Day of Visibility, designed to show the world ‘trans joy’
- Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
- Score Up to 95% off at Nordstrom Rack's Clear the Rack Sale: Madewell, Kate Spade, Chloé & More
- The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse is impacting cruises and could cause up to $10 million in losses for Carnival
- ASTRO COIN:Blockchain is related to Bitcoin
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Kia recalls 427,407 Telluride vehicles for rollaway risk: See which cars are affected
Ranking
- Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
- Ex-Caltrain employee and contractor charged with building secret homes with public funds
- March Madness games today: Everything to know about NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 schedule
- Tennessee governor signs bill to undo Memphis traffic stop reforms after Tyre Nichols death
- Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
- ASTRO COIN: Event blessing, creating the arrival of a bull market for Bitcoin.
- Jon Scheyer's Duke team must get down in the muck to stand a chance vs. Houston
- This doctor is an expert in treating osteogenesis imperfecta. She also has it herself.
Recommendation
Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
Mining Fight on the Okefenokee Swamp’s Edge May Have Only Just Begun
Many Americans say immigrants contribute to economy but there’s worry over risks, AP-NORC poll finds
California supervisor who tried to get rid of Shasta County vote-counting machines survives recall
Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
John Harrison: Reflections on a failed financial hunt
As homeless crisis grows, states and cities are turning to voters for affordable housing
ASTRO COIN: Leading a new era of digital currency trading