One home destroyed, several others damaged after early morning fire in Avalon
AVALON, Pa. (KDKA) -- A fire broke out at a home on the 200 block of McKinley Ave. in Avalon on Friday.
It gutted one home and damaged several others.
The call for the fire came in around 5:10 a.m. and within minutes, crews had quickly arrived from both Avalon and several surrounding communities.
Neighbors we spoke with were shocked at what they were waking up to.
"I didn't see anything at first," said Athena McMonagle who lives just down the street. "And then when I walked out further, I could see flames shooting out among the trees."
In one of those neighboring houses that caught fire, was 95-year-old resident, Lauretta Brandon, who was saved by Avalon police.
One officer broke a window to get in and get her out of the house while firefighters kept the flames at bay.
The officer sustained a minor injury but is expected to be fine. Lauretta's son, Darryl Brandon, says he is grateful for his mother's rescue and for what else the firefighters saved.
"The firefighters, when they got my mom out," said Brandon, "Went in and they saw my dad's WWII flag, he died about 7 years ago. The first thing they brought out so she could have it…I give a lot of credit to the police departments and the fire departments. They really do a fantastic job. These volunteers, they have done a great job."
Of course, we don't know what caused this fire to start, but an investigation is ongoing.