Teen hospitalized after early morning house fire in Kittanning
KITTANNING (KDKA) - A 14-year-old boy was badly burned when his house caught on fire early Wednesday morning in Kittanning.
Chief Earl Kline of the Kittanning Fire Department said they were called to a home on North Water Street just before 5 a.m.
The front of the home doesn't look bad but most of the damage happened in the back. Chief Kline said a family of four just narrowly escaped but not without injury.
"A teenage son had burns to his arm," said Chief Kline.
The teen's burns could've been worse if it weren't for the help of Jim McGaughey, a neighbor who helped pour water on the teen's arm and back.
"I just put water on his back until the ambulance came," said McGaughey. "I dipped my hand in a bowl of water and put it down his back. He was alert but you could tell he was in a lot of pain."
McGaughey said he could only stick around to help for so long before the smoke started making it hard to breathe.
"I don't like to see anybody burn up especially my neighbors because they're good people," he told KDKA. "It's a bad situation, I wish them well."
Meanwhile, Chief Kline said he believes the home is a total loss and the family will need to find somewhere else to stay.
Fire crews believe an electrical issue caused the fire but they're still working to confirm the specifics.
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