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Pocono News Section
Weatherly Fire Claims Two Lives
Weatherly Fire Claims Two Lives - Monday, May 18, 2009 at 6:35PM EST
WEATHERLY, CARBON COUNTY- A Carbon County neighborhood is dealing with grief and suspicions following a deadly fire. An elderly woman and her daughter are the apparent victims.
The fire in Weatherly broke out overnight along Hudsondale Street. Now neighbors and investigators are focusing on a man who was spotted at the fire scene.
Firefighters and police stayed at 208 Hudsondale Street for hours after crews doused the double fatal fire. They question neighbors about what they saw and heard when the fire broke out Monday morning around 3:00.
Besides smoke and flames, several spotted a man outside the burning home. Neighbor Joshua Tom said, "There was a gentleman standing out by the front door and told me there were two people inside".
Matt Vonfrisch, another neighbor, said, "He was sort of outside saying, you know, there's two people in there. You better get inside."
But smoke and flames prevented anyone from trying to rescue the two occupants, believed to be an older woman with disabilities and her daughter.
Neighbor Phyllis Martienssen said, "The daughter took care of the mother 'cause she was in a wheelchair. She had had a stroke."
Firefighters believe it's the mother's body they discovered in a first floor bedroom, and the daughter's body they found in the bedroom doorway.
State police searched the fire-gutted home for hours before the coroner could have the bodies removed.
And now investigators' attention turns to that one-man spotted at the fire scene-- someone authorities call the lone survivor of this fire tragedy. Carbon County Coroner Bruce Nalesnik said, "He was a boyfriend of one of the victims and they're interviewing him now as to the series of events."
Authorities hope that man's answers and their intensive investigation help quickly solve this fire tragedy.
An autopsy on the bodies is set for Tuesday at Lehigh Valley Hospital. Police won't say if the man they're questioning is in custody or if they consider the fire suspicious. | | |
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