Passersby spot fire, rescue residents from Crabtree home

Two passersby on their way to work and a neighbor rescued a man and his daughter from their burning home early Thursday in Crabtree.

Luxor residents Kandace Gettins and Marissa Perillo, who work at SCI Pine Grove in Indiana County, noticed black smoke billowing out of a home about 6 a.m. on Route 119 at Rizzo Road.

“Then we saw flames in between all the trees,” Perillo said.

Around the same time, neighbor Anthony Edward was headed to work when he noticed his friend’s house was on fire. He kicked in a side door but was pushed back by thick smoke and ran to grab a ladder.

Meanwhile, Gettins had stopped in a neighboring parking lot, and the women joined forces with Edward. Perillo got on the phone with 911 and directed Gettins and Edward to the man and his daughter on a back roof.

“I had him throw her off the roof to me, the little girl,” Edward said.

Gettins “helped the guy jump down,” she said.

The man — who declined to speak to a reporter — and his daughter were not hurt. One dog died in the blaze and a second was rescued, according to Crabtree Volunteer Fire Department Chief Bill Watkins.

Flames burned the front left corner of the two-story structure, a duplex that had been converted into one home, when firefighters got there.

“It was already breaking through all the windows,” Watkins said.

Flames spread to both floors and into the attic before the fire was extinguished. The fire is believed to have started on the first floor, possibly from a heating unit, Watkins said, but the cause is under investigation by a state police fire marshal.

“The bigger thing is they did have smoke detectors in the house, so that helped tremendously, saved their life basically,” Watkins said.

About a dozen neighboring companies responded to assist. Route 119 was closed for several hours. The extra help was needed because many firefighters with Crabtree and neighboring departments are typically either at work or finishing up their workday from the overnight shift, Watkins said.

”We had probably about a good dozen companies here because of the time of day and the amount of fire we had,” he said.

After waiting for the fire department to arrive, Gettins and Perillo continued on to their jobs as stock clerks at the state prison in Indiana County. It was a scary experience for both of them. Gettins said she still was shaken up several hours into her shift.

“I’m still sad for that little girl, and I’m hurt for her,” she said.

“I was just glad to know that both people were out and at least one of the dogs,” Perillo said.

Edward took the girl and man to his home and helped them get dry. He said he wasn’t scared; he just wanted to make sure everyone got to safety.

“We’re friends with them, so we’ll continue to help,” he said.