Records show Pennsylvania leads nation in home fire deaths

PAUL, EXPERTS TELL ME IT’S HARD TO PINPOINT EXACTLY WHY PENNSYLVANIA LEADS THE NATION IN FIRE DEATHS, BUT THEY AGREE THE DWINDLING NUMBER OF VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTERS IS A FACTOR AS IS THE LACK OF COOPERATION BETWEEN SOME DEPARTMENTS. CASE IN POINT, A FATAL FIRE HERE AT WHAT USED TO BE A HOUSE ON GRAND BOULEVARD IN CHURCHILL AND IT WAS FATHER’S DAY LAST YEAR WHEN FIRE RIPPED THROUGH THIS CHURCHILL HOME, KILLING 70 YEAR OLD MONUMENT. ANGIE CHURCHILL, FIRE CHIEF, SAYS THERE WAS A DELAYED RESPONSE DUE TO THE HOLIDAY. WELL, I THINK YOU’RE COMPLICATES A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THE MEMBERSHIP AND A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE RIDE VISITING FAMILY MEMBERS. RECORDS OBTAINED BY ACTION NEWS INVESTIGATES SHOW THE FIRST TWO TRUCKS ARRIVED TEN AND 11 MINUTES AFTER THEY WERE DISPATCHED, WHICH IS IN LINE WITH FEDERAL STANDARDS. BUT IT TOOK UP TO 25 MINUTES FOR BACKUP UNITS TO GET ON SCENE. THERE’S ONE FIRE DEPARTMENT. CHURCHILL NEVER CALLED FOR BACKUP. THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH DID THIS DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE CITY AND ITS PAID FIREFIGHTERS COVER. WILKINS MARBURG, WHICH IS RIGHT HERE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE LOCATION WHERE THE FIRE OCCURRED. THE CITY FIRE STATION IN WILKINSBURG IS JUST. 1.7 MILES FROM GRAND BOULEVARD. THE HOMEWOOD STATION, JUST 2.4 MILES AWAY. THAT’S CLOSER THAN MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS CALLED FOR BACKUP, INCLUDING WEST WILMINGTON. 4.4 MILES AWAY. AND MONROEVILLE STATION. 15.5 MILES AWAY. CONSIDERING THAT THE CITY IS RIGHT THERE AT THEIR JURISDICTION IS ACROSS THE STREET, WHAT IT MAKES SENSE TO HAVE THEM AS BACKUP? IT COULD HAVE. BUT AGAIN, WOULD THEY CALL US NOW? SO THE LINE THAT BROWN IS ALLEGHENY COUNTY CHIEF OF EMERGENCY SERVICES, DOES IT MAKE SENSE FOR A SMALL VOLUNTEER DEPARTMENT TO NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE RESOURCES OF THE CITY? NO, IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE. AND YOU ALWAYS WANT THOSE DEPARTMENTS TO WORK TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY AS THE NUMBER OF VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS IN PENNSYLVANIA CONTINUES TO DROP FROM 300,000 IN THE 1970S TO ABOUT 13 7000 TODAY. EXPERTS SAY THE FOLLOWING NUMBER OF FIREFIGHTERS A-ROADS RESPONSE TIME, WHICH COULD BE FUELING AN INCREASE IN FIRE DEATHS. FEMA SAYS PENNSYLVANIA BELIEVE LEADS THE NATION IN RESIDENTIAL FIRE DEATHS WITH 168. LAST YEAR, THAT’S 18 MORE THAN TEXAS, WHICH HAS MORE THAN TWICE THE POPULATION IN JUST THE PAST FEW MONTHS. THERE HAVE BEEN FATAL FIRES IN SHALER WEST, NEWTON, SEWICKLEY AND DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH. THE NUMBER OF HOME FIRE DEATHS IN PAY HAS RISEN BY 47% SINCE 2019. IS THAT ACCEPTABLE? WELL, IT’S NOT. CANONSBURG CHIEF AND FORMER STATE FIRE COMMISSIONER TIM STOLLER BY SAYS THERE IS NO EASY SOLUTION. IF YOU ASK TEN PEOPLE, THEY’D SAY, WE’D LIKE TO HAVE MORE MONEY. WE’D LIKE TO HAVE MORE TRAINING. WE’D LIKE TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE. I THINK THAT’S ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE CASE. THEY NEED TO HAVE THEIR STATIONS MANNED. WANDA WILLIAMS LOST HER SISTER, FRANCES VERNON, IN A DECEMBER 20, 21 FIRE AT THE THOMAS CAMPBELL APARTMENTS IN SOUTH STRABANE. WASHINGTON COUNTY ACTION NEWS INVESTIGATES REPORTED LAST YEAR THAT THE RESPONSE WAS DELAYED BECAUSE SOUTH STRABANE, WHICH HAS A COMBINATION OF PAID AND VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS, HAD NO ONE ON DUTY AT THE TIME, AND THE DEPARTMENT’S LADDER TRUCK COULD NOT REACH THE SIXTH FLOOR. WE’RE FRANCES WAS LIVING. WANDA, WHO LIVES IN THE SAME BUILDING, HAS NOT BEEN TO HER SISTER’S APARTMENT SINCE I STARTED UP THE STAIRS. A COUPLE OF TIMES. TURNED AROUND. I CAN’T DO IT. I’M SORRY. IN THE PAST YEAR, SOUTH STRABANE HAS HIRED MORE PAID FIREFIGHTERS TO COVER ITS OVERNIGHT SHIFT AND THEY BOUGHT A NEW LADDER TRUCK THAT CAN REACH THE SIXTH FLOOR. THE APARTMENT COMPLEX HAS ALSO INSTALLED SPRING LAYERS, WHICH EXPERTS CALL CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO REDUCING DEATHS AND INJURIES IN FIRES. PENNSYLVANIA BEGAN REQUIRING SPRINKLERS IN NEW HOMES IN 2010, BUT THE LEGISLATURE QUICKLY OVERTURNED THE RULE AFTER THE BUILDING INDUSTRY OBJECTED TO THE COST. IT WAS VERY FRUSTRATING. THE BUILDING LOBBY, I THINK, WAS A LITTLE BIT STRONGER THAN WITH THE FIRE LOBBY ENDED UP BEING IN THE BILL GOT REPEALED. WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU? STUPID PEOPLE DO IT. IT NEEDS DONE. SAVE LIVES. EXPERTS SAY THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN ALL DO TO REDUCE THE RISK OF DYING IN A FIRE. FIRST, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE WORKING SMOKE ALARMS ON EVERY FLOOR OF YOUR HOUSE. ALSO, A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. SURE. THAT IS UP TO DATE. AND ACCESSIBLE. HAVE AN EXIT PLAN THAT YOUR FAMILY IS FAMILIAR WITH AND DON’T WAIT TO CALL 911 BECAUSE EVERY MINUTE IS CRITICAL. REPORTIN

Federal Emergency Management Agency records show Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of residential fire deaths and the number of deaths has been climbing in recent years.Experts said it is hard to pinpoint why Pennsylvania has so many fire deaths.But they agree the dwindling number of volunteer firefighters is a factor, as is the lack of cooperation between some fire departments.Last year on Father’s Day, a fire ripped through a house in Churchill, killing 70-year-old Manung Nanji.Churchill Fire Chief Ralph Zatlin said there was a delayed response due to the holiday.“I think it complicated a little bit because the membership and a lot of other people were out visiting family members,” Zatlin said.Today’s top headlines: NTSB releases preliminary report on East Palestine train derailment Police investigate shooting in Pittsburgh's Knoxville neighborhood $288,000 worth of fentanyl seized at downtown Pittsburgh bus stationRecords obtained by Action News Investigates show the first two trucks arrived 10 and 11 minutes after they were dispatched, which is in line with federal standards. But it took up to 25 minutes for backup units to get on the scene.Churchill never called one department for backup — the city of Pittsburgh. This is despite the fact that the city and its paid firefighters cover Wilkinsburg, which is across Graham Boulevard from the site of the Churchill fire. The city fire station in Wilkinsburg is just 1.7 miles away from the Nanji house. The city Homewood station is 2.4 miles away. That's closer than multiple departments called for backup including West Wilmerding, which is 4.4 miles away, and Monroeville Station 1, 5.5 miles away.Asked if it would make sense to call the city for backup, Zatlin said, “It could have. But again, would they call us? No.”Action News Investigates asked Allegheny County Emergency Services Chief Matt Brown if it made sense for a small volunteer department not to ask the city for backup.“No, it doesn't make sense. And you always want those departments to work together,” Brown said.The number of volunteer firefighters in Pennsylvania continues to drop, from 300,000 in the 1970s to about 37,000 today. Zatlin said the number of active volunteers in Churchill has fallen from 45 to 12 in the past two decades.Experts said the falling number of firefighters erodes response time, which could be fueling an increase in fire deaths.FEMA records show Pennsylvania leads the nation in residential fire death, with 168 last year. That's 18 more than Texas, which has more than twice the population.In the past few months, there have been fatal fires in Shaler, West Newton, Sewickley and downtown Pittsburgh. The number of home fire deaths in Pennsylvania has risen by 47 percent since 2019, according to FEMA.Tim Solobay, Canonsburg fire chief and former state fire commissioner, said there is no easy solution.“If you ask ten people, they're going to say we'd like to have more money, we'd like to have more training, we'd like to have more people, I think that's always going to be the case,” Solobay said.“They need to have their stations manned, 24-7,” said Wanda Williams of South Strabane, Washington County. She lost her sister, Frances Venen, in a December 2021 fire at the Thomas Campbell apartments in South Strabane.Action News Investigates reported last year that the response was delayed because South Strabane, which has a combination of paid and volunteer firefighters, had no one on duty at the time. The department's ladder truck could not reach the sixth floor where Venen was living.Williams, who lives in the same building, has not been to her sister's apartment since the fire.“I started up the stairs a couple of times and turned around. Can't do it,” she said.In the past year, South Strabane has hired more paid firefighters to cover its overnight shift. They bought a new ladder truck that can reach the sixth floor. The apartment complex also installed sprinklers, which experts call critically important to reducing deaths and injuries in fires.Pennsylvania began requiring sprinklers in new homes in 2010, but the legislature quickly overturned the rule after the building industry objected to the cost.“It was very frustrating,” Solobay said. “The building lobby was a little bit stronger than what the fire lobby ended up being and the bill got repealed.”“What's wrong with these stupid people? Do it. It needs done. It saves lives,” Williams said.Brown said there are some things everyone should have to reduce the risk of dying in a fire:Working smoke alarms on every floor of the house. A fire extinguisher that is up-to-date and accessible. An exit plan that your family is familiar with.Brown also said don’t delay calling 911 because every minute is critical.

CHURCHILL, Pa. —

Federal Emergency Management Agency records show Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of residential fire deaths and the number of deaths has been climbing in recent years.

Experts said it is hard to pinpoint why Pennsylvania has so many fire deaths.

But they agree the dwindling number of volunteer firefighters is a factor, as is the lack of cooperation between some fire departments.

Last year on Father’s Day, a fire ripped through a house in Churchill, killing 70-year-old Manung Nanji.

Churchill Fire Chief Ralph Zatlin said there was a delayed response due to the holiday.

“I think it complicated a little bit because the membership and a lot of other people were out visiting family members,” Zatlin said.

Today’s top headlines:

Records obtained by Action News Investigates show the first two trucks arrived 10 and 11 minutes after they were dispatched, which is in line with federal standards. But it took up to 25 minutes for backup units to get on the scene.

Churchill never called one department for backup — the city of Pittsburgh. This is despite the fact that the city and its paid firefighters cover Wilkinsburg, which is across Graham Boulevard from the site of the Churchill fire.

The city fire station in Wilkinsburg is just 1.7 miles away from the Nanji house. The city Homewood station is 2.4 miles away. That's closer than multiple departments called for backup including West Wilmerding, which is 4.4 miles away, and Monroeville Station 1, 5.5 miles away.

Asked if it would make sense to call the city for backup, Zatlin said, “It could have. But again, would they call us? No.”

Action News Investigates asked Allegheny County Emergency Services Chief Matt Brown if it made sense for a small volunteer department not to ask the city for backup.

“No, it doesn't make sense. And you always want those departments to work together,” Brown said.

The number of volunteer firefighters in Pennsylvania continues to drop, from 300,000 in the 1970s to about 37,000 today. Zatlin said the number of active volunteers in Churchill has fallen from 45 to 12 in the past two decades.

Experts said the falling number of firefighters erodes response time, which could be fueling an increase in fire deaths.

FEMA records show Pennsylvania leads the nation in residential fire death, with 168 last year. That's 18 more than Texas, which has more than twice the population.

In the past few months, there have been fatal fires in Shaler, West Newton, Sewickley and downtown Pittsburgh. The number of home fire deaths in Pennsylvania has risen by 47 percent since 2019, according to FEMA.

Tim Solobay, Canonsburg fire chief and former state fire commissioner, said there is no easy solution.

“If you ask ten people, they're going to say we'd like to have more money, we'd like to have more training, we'd like to have more people, I think that's always going to be the case,” Solobay said.

“They need to have their stations manned, 24-7,” said Wanda Williams of South Strabane, Washington County.

She lost her sister, Frances Venen, in a December 2021 fire at the Thomas Campbell apartments in South Strabane.

Action News Investigates reported last year that the response was delayed because South Strabane, which has a combination of paid and volunteer firefighters, had no one on duty at the time. The department's ladder truck could not reach the sixth floor where Venen was living.

Williams, who lives in the same building, has not been to her sister's apartment since the fire.

“I started up the stairs a couple of times and turned around. Can't do it,” she said.

In the past year, South Strabane has hired more paid firefighters to cover its overnight shift. They bought a new ladder truck that can reach the sixth floor. The apartment complex also installed sprinklers, which experts call critically important to reducing deaths and injuries in fires.

Pennsylvania began requiring sprinklers in new homes in 2010, but the legislature quickly overturned the rule after the building industry objected to the cost.

“It was very frustrating,” Solobay said. “The building lobby was a little bit stronger than what the fire lobby ended up being and the bill got repealed.”

“What's wrong with these stupid people? Do it. It needs done. It saves lives,” Williams said.

Brown said there are some things everyone should have to reduce the risk of dying in a fire:

Working smoke alarms on every floor of the house.
A fire extinguisher that is up-to-date and accessible.
An exit plan that your family is familiar with.

Brown also said don’t delay calling 911 because every minute is critical.

Records show Pennsylvania leads nation in home fire deaths

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