Firefighter trapped in devastating Penn Township house fire recounts how he got out safely

PENN TOWNSHIP, Pa. — First Lieutenant Zach Lavelle of the Harrison City Volunteer Fire Department has been fighting fires for 15 years. He said Thursday’s fire at a home on Mount Manor Road in Penn Township was a first of a kind for him.

“What seemed to be an ordinary call, a routine call, and actually an easy call, turned into, within minutes, conditions inside [deteriorating] super quickly,” Lavelle said.

He was one of the first firefighters on the scene.

>>> Massive flames rip through home in Penn Township

He and another firefighter made their way inside and up to the attic to start putting out the fire when they got to a door that was stuck.

“Once we were able to open the door, we were met with intense heat, fire, and smoke conditions,” Lavelle recalled.

PHOTOS: Massive flames rip through home in Penn Township

Those conditions, along with a malfunctioning piece of facial gear, disoriented Lavelle. He ended up getting knocked back, and went to follow the hose out, but ended up in a bathroom, not the way he had entered the home.

He immediately called for help even though he wasn’t hurt.

“At first it was more of, “I’m okay but I know this could progressively get worse quickly,” so that’s why I made the call for help,” Lavelle said.

Chief Gene Good called for the Rapid Intervention Team in Irwin to help and get Lavelle to safety.

“That was probably the scariest moment I’ve ever had as a fire chief,” Good told Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek. “Whenever you hear that person say, “I’m stuck inside a fire,”[and] I saw what was going on outside, and I knew things were getting progressively worse very quickly.”

Lavelle was able to follow the hose line outside with the Rapid Intervention Team and was treated on scene. He’s doing okay, and for that, he’s thankful.

“This is what we do, so when you’re well trained, the outcome’s always positive,” Lavelle said.

The cause of the fire at this home is still under investigation by the Penn Township Police. The owner of the home told Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek off-camera that he and his wife were home, and were able to get out safely after a neighbor banged on their door.

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