Hero rescues neighbors from burning home in Minersville, PA
A man rescued his neighbors from a home on fire in Minersville, PA, on Sunday, April 14. The hero, Oscar Rivera, "saved a woman and an elderly man from a burning building," said Janeen Huth, a neighbor. (Credit: Janeen Huth via Storyful)
A Pennsylvania man is being called a hero after he bravely pulled two people from a burning building on Sunday in Minersville.
Minersville Fire and Rescue responded to a three-alarm fire on the 600 block of North Second Street at about 12:44 p.m. Authorities said the blaze torched at least four homes, the Morning Call reported.
Witness Janeen Huth said that a neighbor, Oscar Rivera, "saved a woman and an elderly man from a burning building all while risking his life as his young children stood at the door watching," according to Storyful.
Huth came across the scene on her way home and filmed the rescue. Her video shows thick black smoke billowing from the house as Rivera pulls a man through an attic window on the roof.
Volunteer firefighters responded to a three-alarm fire in Minersville, Penn., on Sunday, April 17, 2024. (Credit: Janeen Huth via Storyful)
A woman can be seen on the roof of the house next-door.
"Grab his pants!" Huth is heard yelling to Rivera as he struggled to pull an elderly man out of the burning building.
The resident, Raul Ramirez, was pulled to safety and flown to LVH-Cedar Crest, family members told the Morning Call. His condition is unknown.
Oscar Rivera, right, stands at the scene of the fire. Rivera, who lives in the 600 block of North Second Street, reported helping a man stuck at a third-floor window. (Jonathan B. Paroby for The Republican Herald)
Rivera, 48, told the Morning Call that he was in the backyard playing with his children when his wife frantically called for him. She had heard a loud boom at about 12:45 p.m. and saw the house across the street was on fire.
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Witness Janeen Huth said a neighbor, Oscar Rivera, climbed onto the roof of one of the burning buildings and rescued two residents. (Credit: Janeen Huth via Storyful)
On the roof of the home, a woman was trying to pull a man out of the attic window and was calling for help as smoke poured from the home.
Rivera and a neighbor leaped into action. Using a ladder, he climbed up on the roof of the burning home and then used an eave on a next door house to hoist himself up to the third floor, he told the Morning Call.
Two volunteer firefighters pulled Rivera and the two residents he rescued off the roof of the burning home, Mayor Sean Palmer said. (Credit: Janeen Huth via Storyful)
"The woman was unable to get the man out," Rivera said, "The smoke was coming so fast, I moved her aside and grabbed the man’s hands."
As burning insulation fell on the man's back, Rivera pulled him from the window and dragged him to safety on the ledge, about 20 feet above the sidewalk, the Morning Call reported.
Oscar Rivera, left, stands at the scene of the fire. Rivera, who lives in the 600 block of North Second Street, reported helping a man stuck at a third-floor window. (Jonathan B. Paroby for The Republican Herald)
Minersville Mayor Sean Palmer publicly thanked Rivera, who was the first civilian on the scene.
"He showed bravery and was able to extract a man and women from the top floor window of the burning building," the mayor wrote on Facebook.
Palmer also thanked two volunteer firefighters, Fire Chief Mike Melochick from the Mountaineer Hose Company #1 and Luke Heffron of Minersville Fire Rescue, who went up to the roof and got Rivera and the two residents down.
"Both Mike and Luke had to go to the ER for severe smoke inhalation and I am happy to say that they are both ok. Thank you also, to our surrounding volunteer fire companies from all over the county," the mayor wrote.
Palmer said that as many as 100-200 volunteers responded to the fire.
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The cause of the fire, which damaged four homes, remains under investigation by State Police Fire Marshal Joseph Hall, according to the Morning Call.
The Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter of the American Red Cross Greater Pennsylvania assisted 19 people who were displaced by the fire; 15 adults and four children. They also provided refreshments for first responders on the scene.
