Butler house fire claims 3-year-old boy, sends others to hospitals

A 3-year-old boy died Thursday in a house fire in Butler County, and three other family members were taken to area hospitals as a result of the blaze, authorities said.

A state police fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire that was reported just before noon at a home on Knox Avenue in the city of Butler, according to Lt. Donald Crawford, with the city’s Bureau of Fire.

The boy was found on a second-floor landing after firefighters entered the burning residence, Crawford said.

The boy’s father and two other children made it out of the home, but not without injury, according to Crawford. He said one child, a 1-year-old boy, suffered burns on his back and was airlifted to UPMC Mercy hospital in Pittsburgh, while the father and a 4-year-old girl were taken by ambulance to Butler Memorial Hospital.

According to Crawford, the father suffered from smoke inhalation while the girl’s injuries weren’t clear.

The names of the victims and the conditions of the survivors weren’t immediately available.

When crews arrived at the scene, the father told firefighters his son was still upstairs in the house, Crawford said.

There was heavy fire on the first floor, with flames “out the front window and out the back door onto a porch,” he said.

The two-story home was a total loss, while siding melted on a neighboring residence, according to Crawford.

There were no physical injuries to firefighters, but, given the emotional impact of the fatal fire, the county provided counseling later Thursday to those who responded with fire units from the city, Butler Township and the Butler VA Medical Center.

BREAKING:

A horrific situation this New Year's Eve...
A young child has died in a house fire on Knox Ave in Butler @wpxi pic.twitter.com/SccIgex7Wr

— Liz Kilmer (@LizKilmerWPXI) December 31, 2020