Body retrieved from fire
JEFFERSON TWP — The remains of one person were pulled from the remnants of a house fire Thursday on Rockdale Road.
State police said the coroner's office was called to retrieve the body for identification.
The fire broke out around 2:30 p.m. at the 1½-story, Cape Cod-style home across the road from Eastmen Tire Supplies.
Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company Chief Chris Dean said he was the first firefighter on the scene. He said two children had evacuated from the home before the structure became engulfed. The body retrieved from the home has not yet been identified.
“There was heavy fire out of the front of the structure,” Dean said.Many other fire departments offered Saxonburg support, including help with shutting down a portion of Rockdale Road around the fire. Roughly 11 truckloads of water, about 33,000 gallons, were used on the fire, which appeared to rekindle with gusts of wind that blew up from time to time.“We were having some water issues at first, but once we had that established, we were able to take control,” Dean said.Firefighters stopped using their hoses around 5 p.m., and police and other officials began evaluating the scene.A short time later, the body was removed from the home.State police said their investigation into the death and the fire are still ongoing.Authorities said the home itself was a total loss and estimated the value lost at around $150,000. It was not known if the home was insured, but American Red Cross had been called to offer the family support.The road was reopened around 7:15 p.m., shortly after fire crews were cleared from the scene.<iframe width="100%" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CG6Pfto7vVo" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
