Family dies in housefire.

[kevin2006rhs]

Usually the first thoughts to go through my when a news topic pops up is, "We don't need this bullsh*t..." but for some reason, other than how close to home this happened, it kinda struck me as a need to be shared bit of news.

 

 

BROCKWAY, Pa. -- Three of this tiny community's leaders -- the mayor, the police chief, the fire chief -- looked crestfallen as they shuffled into a news conference yesterday to try to articulate something they and no one else could fathom -- the death hours earlier of 10 of their neighbors in a house fire.

 

Their task on this day was as difficult as it was painful. If one death in a house fire is a tragedy, what words could they find to convey 10 times that trauma with the loss of nine members of one family -- three generations ranging in age from 40 years to 4 months -- and that of a family friend who was spending the night?

 

"It's a helpless feeling. You're there to try to help and when you can't it plays on your mind," said Fire Chief Chris Benson, a palpable sadness in his voice. He was still wearing the gold firefighter turn-out pants, red suspenders and blue T-shirt he had on 11 hours earlier when he twice tried to enter the burning two-story wood frame home at 1120 Pershing Ave. Intense smoke and flames drove him and other firefighters back.

 

"I tell my guys you have to go on, you have to work through it. I mean we're volunteers ... we're doing the best we can." And then he choked up, tears filled his eyes. "It's tough, it's hard. Ten people at one time. I mean, we're volunteers."

 

The victims were Kimberly Peterson, 40, and her children Rebecca, 17, Douglas III, 13, Isaac, 8, Grace, 6, and Lillian, 11 months; her grandchildren Kaylyn Watson, 4 months, who is Rebecca's daughter; and Dominic Delullo, 4, and Desirre Delullo, 2, who are the children of Elizabeth, 20, who escaped the flames. Also killed was a family friend, Jason Mowry, 19, of Brockway.

 

Jefferson County Emergency Management Director Tracy Zents said it was the worst tragedy in the county's history.

 

Also escaping was another of Kimberly's children, James, 11.

 

The family patriarch, Doug Peterson Jr., was at work at the time. He and his father arrived about 3 a.m. as authorities were trying to determine who was in the house.

 

Police Chief Douglas J. Johnson had the unenviable task of explaining the reality of the situation to a man who was staring at the flames that had taken from him his wife, children and grandchildren

 

"It was unbelievable. You can't put it into words, standing there putting my arm over his shoulder, and at that point trying to identify how many people were in the residence when he left to go to work," Chief Johnson said in measured tones as if re-experiencing the pain of that moment. "I never had to do anything like that before. I hope I never have to do it again.

 

"Emotionally, this fire is devastating to the community."

 

Mayor William Hrinia agreed, his voice likewise cracking. Like the police and fire chiefs, he knew the family. Most did in this community of 2,300 residents where everyone knows virtually everyone, where firefighters don't need addresses because they know who lives where. Indeed, one of the firefighters at the scene was a cousin of the family.

 

"The thing that hits us most is we're like one big family. It's like losing one of your own," Mayor Hrinia said. "It saddens our hearts, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the Peterson family.

 

"And if people listening could say a prayer for Brockway tonight, we'd appreciate it."

 

Three state police fire marshals are investigating and while they hadn't yet determined an exact cause or point of origin, the fire is not suspicious in nature. State police Lt. Scott Neal confirmed there were space heaters in the home and that's one area that investigators are looking at as a possible cause.

 

Chief Benson said the first fire units arrived eight minutes after the first alarm at 2:42 a.m. They faced a house that was so fully engulfed with flames that the roof of a large porch had burned off, flames were shooting out of windows and heavy smoke was everywhere.

 

"The magnitude of fire was overwhelming. It had a very, very good jump," Chief Benson said, noting that firefighters from other much larger communities like DuBois said they had never seen such an intense fire.

 

Joe Beltri, 57, who lives across the street, said he was awakened by the sound of a girl screaming. It was Liz, as Elizabeth is known. And outside his window was an orange glow. He ran out to his porch to see Elizabeth and James climbing out of the second-story window of a front bedroom onto a roof and jumping down. Elizabeth ran into the middle of the street and fell down. She was naked and screaming.

 

"I couldn't understand what she was saying. She was screaming and screaming. I went up to her and she said 'They're still in there,' " Mr. Beltri said.

 

Mr. Beltri tried to enter the burning house but he couldn't see anything for the smoke. He ran back to his house to get a flashlight and shoes. When he came back out, Jamie Hines, a woman who lives across street took Elizabeth into her home and gave her clothes. He yelled for her to call 911. James pounded on another neighbor's door for help.

 

The fire was now raging. "It started like crazy. The whole front started really going and the gas line was on fire."

 

Elizabeth told him the others who were trapped had been sleeping in a front bedroom or downstairs.

 

"I knew then, because the whole front was just in flames, that it wasn't good. We weren't going to get anyone else out of there."

 

Only upon their arrival did firefighters learn that people were trapped inside.

 

Chief Benson and others immediately tried to rescue them but were repeatedly beaten back.

 

The blaze was finally brought under control at 4:22 a.m. Some time later, the victims' bodies were found on both stories of the now-blackened structure, some of which had collapsed.

 

Chief Benson said he didn't know if fire detectors were present. While he said none were heard sounding an alert, the fire's intensity could have rendered them inoperable.

 

School was dismissed early yesterday in the Brockway School District, where the children attended school. Grace was in kindergarten at Brockway Elementary and Isaac was in the second grade there. Douglas III was in seventh grade. Rebecca was in 11th grade but attended Jeff Tech in Reynoldsville. Jason was in 12th grade in the junior-senior high school.

 

James, who escaped, is in the sixth grade and Elizabeth, had attended Brockway schools but it was unclear whether she graduated from the high school or Jeff Tech.

 

"They're all a great group of kids who will be sadly missed," said school Superintendent Stephen Zarlinski, who has been in the district for 25 years. "When we lose one student, it's a tragedy. To lose this many at the same time is hard to comprehend and understand."

 

In Brockway and beyond, he's not alone in being unable to do so.

Source

 

I dunno if it is just my area or the whole world, but the bad news keeps on piling up here in the Pittsburgh, PA area. people are constantly being shot, stabbed, killed, run over, ect. Its odd to say the least.

[flicko]

Eight out of the ten victims were under the age of 18, including six under the age of 10, two of them not even being one. My, that's terrible news indeed. It's a shame how nature or one mistake can ruin lives. Something like this happened in my town a few years back, only that time four people died, instead of ten. Still, was extremely tragic indeed.

[Cran.]

I dunno if it is just my area or the whole world, but the bad news keeps on piling up here in the Pittsburgh, PA area. people are constantly being shot, stabbed, killed, run over, ect. Its odd to say the least.

People get shot, stabbed, killed, murdered, burnt every day. It just sometimes seems like more than 'usual' when the media starts suddenly reporting the stories.

 

Although, on topic, very sad indeed. I mean, one family member is a tragedy, but this is almost unfathomable. I feel really bad for the kid who survived. I can't imagine living with the burden of losing some, let alone all your family in a fire. Truely tragic..

[Hodgey.]

Damn what a waste of life. But there hundreds of people that die eeryday and the news never reports it. Just unfortunate that this happened to them. Coul easily happen to anyone of us.

[Gouveia]

I dunno if it is just my area or the whole world, but the bad news keeps on piling up here in the Pittsburgh, PA area. people are constantly being shot, stabbed, killed, run over, ect. Its odd to say the least.

It's not only in your area, dude. If I posted a topic about it crime that was shocking, and happened here in my city, I would get a whole page of Gen Talk. Daily.

[Struff Bunstridge]

Jesus. I'm reading this at work, and I actually welled up a bit when reading about the father when he came home from work. His whole family. Saddest thing I've heard all week.

[HolyGrenadeFrenzy]

.....I am really sad to hear of this. There is nothing that I can say to assist with that kind of emotional trauma.

 

Sure, people will say things yet there are really no words to console such pain and loss.

 

Condolences.

[silvermanblue]

Thats horrible, my deepest condolences. I could not fathom loosing my whole family in one fell swoop.

[Dime84]

Wow, I couldn't go through that. I feel bad for the family.