MINERSVILLE, Pa. — UPDATE 9:45 p.m.:
First responders rescued a 12-year-old girl trapped on the second floor of a burning home in Schuykill County on Thursday, but the afternoon’s oppressive heat proved to be another hurdle for firefighters.
Patrick Elias lives on North Street in Minersville, and he owns the building next to his home. He says he didn't realize his house was on fire – until he heard the scream from his 12-year-old stepdaughter.
"And when she yelled, we looked up the stairs, and it was full of smoke,” Elias said.
But worse – his young stepdaughter was trapped up on the second floor.
"And I was right behind the mother, and we couldn't do anything, we had to run out, the smoke was gonna knock us out. My main concern was the child's life. I really don't care about the house,” he said.
That's when police and firefighters went where the parents couldn't.
"As we're running down, he's running up,” Elias said of one of the officers who passed him by.
Officials say it took six firefighters to get the girl to safety. And the flames and smoke weren't the only hazards on a day when temperatures surpassed 90 degrees.
"The heat here, obviously on this day, it's one of the most hot and humid days of the year, so you combine that with the heat and the smoke from the fire,” Chief Michael Combs of the Minersville Police Department said.
Officials say at least six firefighters suffered heat exhaustion, and at least two police officers needed treatment for the heat and smoke.
"Extreme heat, you exert a lot of energy, and you have to have people to replace them, and that's why we went to three alarms,” Assistant Chief Jim O’Brien of the Borough of Minersville Fire Department said.
Officials say the parents and five other children are safe. The 12-year-old is at the hospital, and the family awaits word on her condition.
"I really thought that the kid, was, the child would have been dead, but I thank God that she's not,” Elias said.
Red Cross is helping the family with food and shelter, and the family says many community members have been bringing items to them.
A fire marshal is looking for the cause.
Original Story:
A 12-year-old girl had to be rescued from a burning home in Schuylkill County.
The fire sparked around 3:30 p.m. at a home along North Street in Minersville.
The young girl was trapped on the second floor.
Officials say that six firefighters and two police officers are being treated for heat exhaustion.
One family lived in the home.
This is a developing story. Please check back for details.