Neighbor of fire that sent 3 firefighters to hospital shares how preparation helped keep her safe

MONESSEN, Pa. — Three firefighters were transported to local hospitals after a house fire on Park Way in Monessen caused the floor to give out.

One was sent by helicopter to the UPMC Burn Clinic and the two others were ferried by ambulance to Mon Valley.

2 firefighters transported after Westmoreland County house fire causes floor to give out

There is no word as to what initially started the fire. 911 officials said that they were alerted to the scene just before 3 p.m. on Saturday.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WPXI apps for alerts as news breaks]

The people living next to the house that caught fire say they were worried the fire could spread to their house, but they also told us what they did to prepare in case they were caught in the middle of it.

Gail Ramos tells Channel 11 the moment she realized the house next door was on fire.

“I noticed it was coming from next door. So I ran downstairs, and I looked out and I can see the side window. There was smoke coming out of there too,” she said.

She said that’s when she called 911. The Monessen fire chief said when firefighters got to Park Way, another person came up and shouted that someone was inside.

Firefighters went in to try to rescue whoever might be in there, while other firefighters worked to put the fire out.

The fire chief said that when first responders went into the house, they confirmed that there were signs that a squatter had taken over.

“Off and on we see someone come in and out, but I don’t know if someone just stayed there permanently,” Ramos said.

They didn’t find anyone in the house but the fire chief tells me one firefighter fell through the second floor onto the first floor and had to be life-flighted.

Two other firefighters were treated for heat-related issues.

Meanwhile, Ramos tells us as a Jehovah’s Witness her faith encourages emergency preparedness and that’s why she had her go bag ready.

“We have done this for years now, but I’ve never really had to put it to the test,” she said. “But having it ready, and made a big difference in fear factor, and uncertainty, I knew I was ready.”

There is still no word on what exactly caused this fire, but if you’re looking to prepare a go bag for emergencies like Ramos, you can click here to see the page Ramos used to pack her go bag.

Police on scene of shooting in New Brighton