WEST WYOMING, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A man died earlier Wednesday evening after a fire broke out in a home in NEPA, the fire that was too hot for people in the house to try to save his life.
The call went out on Wednesday evening. Officials say they were able to get the fire under control relatively quickly but weren't able to save the man who died.
The fire tore through the small apartment behind the garage of a home on the 500 block of West 8th Street in West Wyoming. Crews from multiple departments responded.
"They got on scene, they were met with immediate fire at the entry door," said Wyoming Area Regional Police Chief of Police Michael Turner.
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The call went out around 5:30 p.m., including word of a possible victim inside the house.
But the first crews to arrive realized the man who lived there didn't make it out, despite a brave effort from others to get him to safety.
"There's one fatality. There were other people in the house who tried to get to him but it was too hot," West Wyoming Fire Department Captain Joe Tavaglione explained.
Officials say they were able to get the fire under control quickly, and that it was contained to the apartment with some smoke and water damage to the rest of the home.
"The firemen did an outstanding job extinguishing the fire, holding it to one room," Chief Turner added.
The cause of the fire is still unknown but is under investigation by Wyoming Regional and Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshals.
