KINGSTON, Pa. — An early morning fire took the lives of an elderly mother and her son in Kingston.
Although firefighters say this was tragic, they say that it is fortunate this tragedy wasn't worse because of the difficulties faced by firefighters early Thursday morning.
It didn't take long for demolition crews to take down what was left of two fire-damaged buildings along Eley Street in Kingston.
Neighbors and family members of victims stood and watched in disbelief, still in shock from the deadly fire that erupted hours earlier at the 107-109 double-block, consuming it with flames, gutting the home next door, and causing damage to two others.
RELATED: Two bodies found after Kingston fire
"The whole sky was lit up," John Rooney said. "I saw it all the way from the (avenue); that's how bright it was."
Officials tell Newswatch 16 the bodies of an elderly woman and her son were found in the ruins.
SIx others made it out of the four fire-damaged buildings safely. Firefighters say although this was a tragic loss, it is fortunate it wasn't worse.
"We arrived, and we had three homes on fire, and we had severe water supply problems because almost every hydrant within five blocks we found to be frozen," said Kingston Forty Fort Asst. Chief Floyd Young.
Water to fight the flames was brought in by volunteer crews from the Back Mountain in tanker trucks and pumped through hoses from close to a mile away from Bennett Street in Luzerne.
Hours later, passersby were still stunned by the damage and the tragic loss in the flames.
"When I saw the lights flashing, I could see it right through the window, so what I heard it was like an inferno here," Thomas Smith said. "Just know when I come through here, it's a nice, quiet area, everybody's cool all through here, so when you see this, it's sad to lose somebody like that."
A state police fire marshal has listed the cause as undetermined because of all the damage.