Man who died in Shaler house fire remembered fondly by heartbroken neighbors

By all accounts, Tony Garland was an altruistic, lovable man.

That’s the way his neighbors remembered him after learning he died at a hospital at 11 a.m. Wednesday following injuries suffered in a house fire Tuesday night at his home at 1601 Burchfield Road in Shaler.

His partner, Michael E. Myrick Jr., who co-owned and lived in the house with him, was hospitalized in critical condition as of Wednesday night.

“Tony has been my neighbor for over a decade and he was a great man,” said next door neighbor Caden Helfrink, 16. “He helped my family a lot, like my great grandma when she was older and she couldn’t take care of herself. He would come over and just help her for free.

”It’s a tragedy what happened. I wish I could have done something. Tony got out of the house when it was burning down and he went back in because his partner and their dogs were still inside. He went back in the house to save them.”

The house sits near the corner of Ponderosa Drive. The fire caused extensive damage.

Shaler Villa Volunteer Fire Co. Chief Dwayne Steinmetz said the fire is under investigation by the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office. He declined to speculate on the cause. Allegheny County Police homicide detectives are also investigating.

At least 10 fire companies and several ambulance departments responded, as well as Salvation Army Disaster Services.

“We had a report of a residential house fire with people trapped inside,” Steinmetz said. “Upon arrival, one person was already out being tended to by neighbors. (That person) was transported to a hospital. Firefighters removed a second victim (from the home).”

Steinmetz said they were both in critical condition at the time of transport. A firefighter was taken to a hospital and is in stable condition, according to the Allegheny County Police Department.

“It’s just horrible. I can’t believe it,” Helfrink said. “Everyday walking home from school I’d see (Tony) in his yard and say ‘Hi’ to him.”

Helfrink’s grandmother, Valera Hodill, 60, who also lives next door, called Garland a gentle soul and a good neighbor.

“Tony was a good friend. He was a good, good guy. He helped us quite a few times when we needed it,” Hodill said. “It just breaks my heart. I’ll miss him forever. Nobody is ever going to be able to take his place.”

Troy Pulkowski, 16, a next door neighbor on the other side of the house, said Garland and Myrick were always friendly.

“It’s just a sad thing to happen to such nice people,” Pulkowski said. “It just doesn’t seem like reality.”

Both dogs are believed to have survived the fire though one of them was still missing as of Wednesday afternoon.

A GoFundMe page has been set up. https://gofund.me/a92035cc.