Charleroi fire sends woman to hospital, displaces 6 from 2 apartments

A Charleroi woman was flown to UPMC Mercy hospital in Pittsburgh for medical treatment Thursday night after first responders rescued her from a fire in her apartment.

Five adults and one child were displaced from two apartments after fire broke out before 6:30 p.m. in a 2 1/2-story building in the 900 block of Crest Avenue, said Charleroi Fire Chief Robert Whiten Jr.

A fire marshal investigated the cause of the blaze and found it started in the rear kitchen of the first-floor apartment, Whiten said.

“It appears it was a cooking fire that got out of hand. A pot on the stove caught fire,” the chief said.

Firefighters and a police officer combined efforts to rescue a woman from a front room of the first-floor apartment before she was flown by medical helicopter to Pittsburgh, Whiten said. He was unable to provide details about the woman’s injuries.

Flames spread into the kitchen cabinets and out a window, to the exterior of the building, Whiten said.

The building sustained moderate to heavy fire damage, heavy smoke damage and moderate water damage, he said. It took firefighters about 15 minutes to bring the fire under control and they were on the scene for about two hours, Whiten said.

The Salvation Army was on hand to help the displaced residents.

A woman was evacuated from a neighboring house as a precaution but was able to return home, Whiten said.

Charleroi was assisted by fire departments from Collinsburg, Bentleyville, Fallowfield, Monessen, Stockdale and Lock 4. Rostraver West Newton Emergency Services provided ambulance assistance.