POINT TOWNSHIP, NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Two people are dead and another person has been flown to a burn center after a fire in Northumberland County.
First responders in Northumberland County are coming together after a fire broke out at a home in Northumberland County Monday morning, killing two people and sending a third to the hospital.
At 12:45 a.m., first responders were called to the 100 block of Johns Way, Point Township, for a reported structure fire.
We now know from neighbors and area first responders that the victims of the fire are family members of firefighters from the Point Township Fire Company. Multiple departments from the area assisted in putting out the fire.
When firefighters arrived on the scene, officials say they confirmed three people were still in the home.
"It's very tight-knit in this area," said Sunbury Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Jay Long.
Assistant Fire Chief Long took command at a scene in Point Township Monday. He says his volunteer department was one of many assisting at a scene on John's Way in Point Township this morning.
"All of us are, I mean friends, and very close. Talk on a daily basis," Assistant Fire Chief Long explained.
Two of those friends from a nearby fire department, Chief Brent Filbert and Chief Mike Erdman from Point Township, arrived at the scene about the same time Monday morning.
The two are stepbrothers, and for them, this fire hit too close to home.
"Chief Erdman was the first on the scene, with smoke showing from the residence, and could actually hear his stepfather yelling from inside the residence," Assistant Fire Chief Long added.
Chief Erdman acted quickly, entering the home and removing his stepfather from the residence.
"Chief Erdman then went back into the residence with members from Northumberland and the tower ladder from Sunbury, and they were able to remove his mother from the second floor and also the brother from the second floor," Assistant Fire Chief Long continued.
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Crews on scene immediately began performing lifesaving measures on the two.
"Which, unfortunately, both of them succumbed to their injuries," Assistant Fire Chief Long stated.
63-year-old Wendy Filbert and 40-year-old Michael John Filbert were pronounced dead at the scene.
The release states a 59-year-old man was removed from the home and transported to Geisinger Danville before being flown to the burn center in Lehigh County. The extent of his injuries is unknown at this time.
Assistant Fire Chief Long says that just as the departments supported Point Township during the fire, they'll continue to support them, as they move forward.
"The best thing that we can do now is just be there for each other and make sure someone's with each other at all times and talk through it," Assistant Fire Chief Long said.
The community was showing that support too Monday. At the home, people were dropping off flowers all morning and afternoon.
A Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshall deemed the cause of the fire to be accidental.
According to Pennsylvania State Police, no further information on the cause will be released.
A GoFundMe has been made to provide support for the Filbert family.
This is a developing story, 28/22 News will bring you the latest as we learn more.
