Rescuers help mom, 2 children escape from burning home in Salem

A neighbor and passersby helped a 2-year-old boy and his mother escape flames consuming their Salem home Friday morning, and firefighters rescued a 9-year-old boy from a bedroom.

Neighbor Christina Shaner was alerted by a horn honking outside while she was working from home. She threw on a pair of shoes and raced, along with the passersby, across Route 819.

Smoke billowed out of the house, and the woman who lives in the home yelled for help from the wooden back deck as she held her 2-year-old son. The smoke was so thick, Shaner said she was unable to get inside to find a 9-year-old boy who lives there.

“I went around and said just drop me the kid,” Shaner said.

The mother climbed over the railing and escaped. The passersby took the younger child while she and Shaner tried unsuccessfully to get to a front bedroom and rescue the older boy. Firefighters pulled him out of the home, and he was flown by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital, according to Forbes Road Fire Chief Bob Rosatti.

“We have a neighbor that actually stepped in and did a great job as well as the fire companies on scene did a good job of pulling the victim out of the fire,” he said.

Firefighters were dispatched about 9 a.m. When they arrived, there was heavy flames, Rosatti said. Slickville Fire Department was in charge at the scene of the blaze, but he spoke on their behalf to the media.

“We had a lot of fire on the back side of the structure, blowing out the back windows onto the deck,” he said.

The home was destroyed. A firefighter had to take a break for “stress,” Rosatti said, but was not taken to a hospital.

A state police fire marshal is investigating.

Rescuing a child from a fire can take a mental toll on emergency responders, Rosatti said.

“Hopefully, everything turns out all right,” he said.

Shaner echoed those comments. She was shaken up by the situation.

“I pray for them,” she said. ” I hope that everything works out.”

About nine fire companies responded, and the road north of Route 22 was closed for several hours. Rosatti said manpower always is an issue at any type of call.

“Please go out and join your local fire departments,” he said. “Any time of day, the fire departments throughout the state of Pennsylvania are hurting for people. It definitely plays a part in the safety of our communities.”