Neighbor Rushes To Get Dogs Out Of Burning House After Explosion In Jeannette, No Injuries

Neighbor rushes to get dogs out of burning house after explosion in Jeannette, no injuries reported

JEANNETTE, Pa. – “I saw the fire almost breaking through the windows, you could hear the glass breaking.”

Robert Williams was standing at his bathroom window when he saw flames and smoke coming from his neighbor’s house on South 14th Street.

He called 911 and ran outside.

“She was screaming that the pets were inside, so me and three other people went in and tried to get the pets out,” Williams said.

As Williams rushed to get the family’s dogs out, an explosion was heard from down the street.

“It didn’t sound that loud to us, because we were on the inside coming out, so it didn’t sound that loud to us, but everybody else said it shook and how it shook the block,” he said.

The fire was already starting when Jeannette firefighters showed up within three minutes of the call.

“We had very active fire on the second floor. It looked like a front bedroom,” Jeannette Fire Chief Bill Frye said. “There were already flames coming out of the windows and vigils from the attic then.”

Frye said two of his men were 50 feet from the room when another explosion tore through the front of the house.

“There was a large explosion that blew off part of the front wall and it was determined to be an oxygen cylinder that exploded and blew debris down the street,” Frye said.

Amazingly, no one was hurt, but first responders say the quick response not only helped keep people safe, but kept the fire from spreading 12 inches to the house next door.

“It makes a big difference because these fires with the materials we have in modern homes, they burn hotter and faster than ever before, so the staff, even if it’s just a couple of guys, makes a big difference,” Frye said .

A state fire marshal was called to investigate. The chief says they still have some witness interviews and physical evidence to look at before determining a cause.