Bethel Park home destroyed in three-alarm fire
BETHEL PARK, Pa. (KDKA) - With the spraying of water and the roar of the fire engines, the entire street on Pudding Stone Lane in Bethel Park can't help but notice this.
A neighbor who didn't want to be named told KDKA-TV, "It's just unbelievable. Especially when it's so close, and you know the people." She said, "I saw flashing lights, and I got up to look out, and there were police cars in front of my home."
The neighbor on the street told us flames shot out from the back of the house.
"Well, I know the people that live there, and I saw all of the flames shooting up through the roof, and I just couldn't believe that they had that big of a fire," said the neighbor.
In Bethel Park, neighbors know neighbors here. All the people in this home made it out safely, including the husband, wife, and dog. Fire crews said they responded fast, shortly after 2:30 this morning.
"First officer was on scene in five minutes," said the Bethel Park Deputy Fire Chief Russ Beeson. "We had been on scene working for about 20 minutes. The crews were starting to get exhausted, looked at the resources in the front yard, realized that we needed more and requested the third one."
This three-alarm fire means more crews on hand for a big fight.
"The volume of fire and the location of the fire in the back of the house made it difficult to fight," Beeson said.
A fire hydrant right in front helped with this effort, but the home is a total loss. Beeson said the roof and all the floors collapsed.
"I've been up since 2:38, and I still have to go to work. And we'll be here all day still with hot spots, I'm sure," Beeson said.
Through rising smoke, broken windows, and flashing lights, you can still see the Christmas decorations. The sign of someone's beloved home burnt from top to bottom.
Now, the fire family is reassembling their lives while the marshal's investigation moves forward.