CLEARFIELD – A firefighter has been hospitalized in UPMC Altoona after being entrapped while crews battled a third-alarm structure fire Tuesday morning in the 700 block of Daisy Street in Clearfield Borough.
The firefighter was one of three who were entrapped after the porch roof collapsed. The firefighters were extricated from the home, according to emergency management officials.
One firefighter was taken to UPMC Altoona due to injuries, said Borough Operations Manager Leslie Stott. She was uncertain of the firefighter’s condition and waiting for a report from her staff.
WJAC-TV, a GantDaily news partner, has received reports from officials that the firefighter sustained serious injuries in the fire.
Two other firefighters were treated locally at Clearfield Penn Highlands Hospital and have been released, said Stott. The names of the three, injured firefighters aren’t being released, said Stott.
On the Clearfield Volunteer Fire Department Facebook page, officials posted: “Please take a moment to say a prayer or send a positive thought out for all of those involved in the fire this morning, especially for our injured brothers.”
A 50-year veteran of the Clearfield Fire Department who lives near the scene told WJAC-TV that he was among the first to respond to the fire. Upon arrival flames were “shooting out of every opening” in the home and the porch roof collapsed, he said.
According to officials, the adult residents and their pets escaped from the burning home to safety. Their children were not at home at the time of the fire, officials said.
A Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal has initiated an investigation into the origin and cause of the fire, said Stott.