One Person Injured in Pittsville House Fire
Thursday, May 12th, 2016 -- 11:22 AM
(WDLB, WSAU) -One person was injured in a house fire in Pittsville on Wednesday.Pittsville Fire Chief Jerry Minor says his crews responded shortly after Noon Wednesday to a house fire on Third Avenue, where 47-year-old Robert Tritz woke up to a fire in his living room.
"When we arrived on the scene, we had smoke showing from the back side of the house. The occupant was out of the house. He had been assisted by a neighbor to get out of the house. He had injuries consistent with being in a house fire."
Tritz suffered burns to his face and smoke inhalation. He was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield. As for the fire, Minor says it started in the living room, but he does not know how. And thanks to a neighbor, Tritz got out alive.
"She heard a call of help. He kept calling his dog's name. She was walking by the residence and the neighbor heard all this. She looked over at the house and saw smoke coming out the back. She went to the house, went to the back door and found him in the kitchen on his hands and knees and she got him out of the house. The dog, however, did not make it."
Chief Minor says the fire produced heavy, black smoke that normally kills people in a couple of breaths. The chief does not have a damage estimate caused by the blaze. He says there is almost no water damage, but lots of smoke damage, mainly to the first floor of the home. Crews from Pittsville, Marshfield, Vesper, Richfield and Arpin responded to the fire at about 12:30 p.m.
(Thanks to WDLB and WSAU for story and audio.)
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