Girl, 16, recovering in Pittsburgh hospital after rescue from burning home in Butler
A 16-year-old girl is recovering in the AHN West Penn Hospital’s burn center after being rescued from a burning home Wednesday, April 8, on Center Avenue in Butler’s south side.
Andrea Cinci, the girl’s mother, said doctors were preparing to remove breathing tubes from her daughter, Bryonna, on Friday afternoon. She was awake and responsive, but the teen was feeling unsure about why she was at the hospital, Cinci said.
Bryonna was unconscious Wednesday when she was carried down a ladder over a firefighter’s shoulder from a second-story window at 500 Center Ave. She called 911 while trapped in the second-story bedroom and fell unconscious before help arrived, but dispatchers were able to guide firefighters straight to her in the home.
She was first taken by ambulance to Butler Memorial Hospital then flown to a Pittsburgh hospital.
“You never expect things like this to happen to your own family,” said Esteban Cordova Jr., her older brother who created a GoFundMe on his mother and sister’s behalf.
“We’re all very happy everyone made it out safe. We appreciate anyone who helps our family during this difficult time,” he said. “Your support means the world to us, and will help us move forward together.”
By Friday afternoon, the GoFundMe had raised $4,675.
The home would likely be a total loss with significant damage both inside and outside, according to Butler Bureau of Fire Captain Tim Iman.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated by a state police fire marshal, according to Troop D public information officer Trooper Bertha Cazy.
