Neighbors played key role in saving one boy from deadly Pennsylvania fire

ERIE, Pa. ( WJET/WFXP )– Tragedy struck a family as a 4-year-old boy lost his life in a house fire in Erie, Pennsylvania overnight that also injured an 11-year-old boy.

Now the community is mourning the loss of a young boy who stayed in this four-person residence.

Around 1 a.m., crews arrived in the 500 block of East 4th Street, finding heavy flames pouring from the front of the structure.

Once crews had the fire under control, they were able to enter the house, though the investigation had to be put on hold pending a warrant for police and fire crews to further look into the cause.

“One individual is being treated on scene, a firefighter, for falling through the porch floor,” said Captain Thomas Cooper, acting deputy chief for the City of Erie.

Fire Marshall Donald Sauer said the fire was called in by two individuals who were sitting down the street and noticed the flames.

The only people present in the home were two children, a 4-year-old boy and an 11-year-old boy.

According to Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook, the 4-year-old died as a result of the fire that was on the second floor of the structure.

“It looks like the fire started on the first floor. There was no doors or anything around the stairs, so it went right up to the second floor,” Sauer said.

The second child was taken to the hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Investigators said it was the quick action of neighbors that helped the 11-year-old escape the house.

“He tried to exit his bedroom into the main part of the house, the dining room, but there was too many smoke and too much heat, so he went back in his bedroom, closed the door and he stuck his hand out a window on the west side of the house,” Sauer said. “One guy boosted up another guy because the window was a little higher off the ground and the second gentleman was able to pull the 11-year-old boy out of the house.”

Another aspect that saved the 11-year-old’s life was his door being closed.

Sauer said to “close before you doze” to keep all family members safe.

“It’s always hard, no matter how old or young an individual is, when they pass away from injuries from a fire…We’re all pretty shook up about it,” he went on to say.

They still don’t know what caused the fire. Erie City police detectives are assisting with this active and ongoing investigation.

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