Crews responded to Cherry Street in Edwardsville around 8:30 a.m. Friday.
EDWARDSVILLE, Pa. — “I saw some flames on the front porch, and I was like, am I seeing things?” said Kevin Brown, neighbor.
In just minutes, flames ripped through the front of the home along Cherry Street in Edwardsville just after 8:30 a.m. Friday.
Kevin Brown lives nearby and saw the flames before calling 911 as neighbors rushed to help. “I said you need to get to the back of the house. The next thing you know, there were three, four other gentlemen. We tried to run to the back of the house. By the time we got to the back of the house, there was just so much in flames,” he said.
Edwardsville fire officials say by the time they arrived on scene, the front of the home was fully engulfed as they searched for a woman inside.
“At that point where still have where we can make entry at certain points of the house. That’s what we did. The guys aggressively made entry to try to locate the victim,” said Deputy Chief Frank Castner, Edwardsville Fire Department.
Officials confirmed a 64-year-old woman was found inside the home and later pronounced dead.
Many along the block affectionately knew her as one thing, “The cat woman or the cat lady. Because she took care of the stray cats. I think she easily had 30 cats. She had on her deck cardboard boxes. It was the cardboard box motel where the cats lived,” said neighbor Mark Wood.
She’s remembered for her caring nature and passion for helping those on four legs, which became contagious to those who live nearby, like Mark Wood. His family took on one of her cats, named Cali. “She was actually going to return Cali to us yesterday. But there was a change of plans, and she was supposed to return her today, and we don’t know if she was one of the survivors or not,” he said.
Fire officials say they were only able to rescue three of her cats, and the Luzerne County SPCA is assisting. “There was multiple cats, probably roughly 40 cats, within the house,” said Castner.
This is the second deadly fire that has struck Luzerne County’s west side in less than 48 hours. An incomprehensible weight on these first responders.
“It’s been really tough. The guys are getting really stressed with the amount of calls we’ve been having in the past week. It just takes a toll on you,” said Castner.
Fire marshals are still investigating what caused the deadly blaze in Edwardsville.
