HOLLSOPPLE, Pa. – Two people received treatment after an explosion involving a gas dryer sparked a Jenner Township house fire Sunday.
Two firefighters also received medical care after being bitten by a raccoon they were rescuing from the burning animal-filled home, Jerome Deputy Chief Ginger Miller said.
The fire occurred on the 5300 block of Somerset Pike and was reported just before 1 p.m.
The home’s two occupants evacuated the residence. Firefighters rescued at least eight cats and dogs, as well as the raccoon, Miller said. Other pets inside did not survive, she added.
The firefighters encountered the raccoon because the family was nursing the animal back to health. The Pennsylvania Game Commission, which was aware the animal was rehabbing at the residence, was contacted after the fire and took custody of the animal, Miller said.
She said both firefighters – one from Richland Township and another from Windber – were wearing safety gear while handling the animal. But the animal’s bite punctured through their gloves, causing wounds that required treatment.
Miller said the fire itself caused damage to a laundry room and adjacent space.
Firefighters were able to tap into a hydrant in the neighborhood and had back-up tankers from Sipesville and Jennerstown to ensure supply was adequate in the rural area.
“We had a great response from the other local departments, and it enabled us to get a knockdown very quickly,” Miller said.
Boswell, Windber, Conemaugh Township and Richland fire departments, as well as Conemaugh Township EMS responded, fire officials said.
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