PSP: Girardville fire caused by space heater
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Ashland firefighters standing by at the scene of Friday's fire.
GIRARDVILLE – Friday’s fire on West Main Street here was caused by a malfunctioning space heater in the first floor dining room, State Police at Frackville said.
A State Police fire marshal was called in to investigate the blaze which destroyed one side of a duplex around 8:30am.
Troopers said the four occupants — Christopher Katsoris, 41, Camille Katsoris, 42, a 14-year-old boy and 11-year-old girl — were asleep at the time the fire started and escaped through a second floor window, where they were rescued by neighbors and Girardville Fire Chief Frank Zangari.
State Police Fire Marshal Corey Heimbach of the Reading Fire Marshal Unit ruled the fire accidental.
The fire originated in the first floor dining room when an electric space heater malfunctioned, Heimbach said.
The two children were flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital – Cedar Crest for smoke inhalation, while Christopher was taken to the same hospital by ground for burns and Camille was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital – Schuylkill – East Norwegian Street.
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