Fire burns bedroom
SEVEN FIELDS — A fire at about 2:35 p.m. Thursday saw rescue efforts by emergency responders as well as neighbors.
Flames broke out in a home at 812 Wellington Drive owned by the Culpepper family and burned an upstairs bedroom. The family was out of town.
“I'm just glad I work at home on Thursdays and I was running late to an appointment,” said next-door neighbor Lynn Brimmeier, who made the call to 911.
Brimmeier said the family was in State College for the day.
More neighbors decided to take action while firefighters were on their way.
“We were wondering if anyone was in there,” said Nancy Rhodes, who lives just three houses down from the Culpeppers.
Rhodes said she saw a window break from the flames and clothes fall from the house after the fire burned through.
Rhodes and her husband Jim gained access to the home to search for the Culpeppers' dog, Cosmo, on the first floor.
“The second floor was too dangerous to go up,” Jim Rhodes said.
Cosmo was found by firefighters hiding upstairs in another room away from the fire. Although he was shivering, he was uninjured.
Adams Area Fire District Chief Bill Hayes said the fire was contained to the bedroom.Charred items were tossed from the room outside. The room was gutted, and the side of the home damaged.Hayes said timing was “very critical” in this situation. Two firefighters entered the residence to put out the flames and others followed to assist.“A few minutes and it could have extended to the roof or into the other upstairs bedrooms,” he said.Hayes said the cause of the fire is under investigation.Other fire departments that assisted included Cranberry Township, Wexford, Marshall Township and Callery. Harmony and Richland departments were called off while en route. Cranberry Township EMS and Seven Fields regional police also assisted.
