MINERSVILLE — A woman was burned critically when flames tore through the apartment building she lived in Friday afternoon, leaving a total of 16 people homeless.
Firefighters were called to the three-story building at 2 Sunbury St. about 2:40 p.m. and found heavy fire to the rear of the structure.
Firefighters quickly pulled Crystal Peterson from her second-floor rear apartment and turned her over to Minersville EMS for treatment of burns.
The woman was taken to a helicopter and flown to the burn unit at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest. Minersville police Patrolman Jeffrey Bowers said Peterson suffered burns to 65 percent of her body and was admitted in critical condition.
Taken to an area hospital was Rose Toney, who lived in a third-floor apartment. Also living in that apartment and not injured was the woman’s husband, Nate Toney, and their daughters, Kaila and Brittany. Another resident, Steven Harmer, and two people who were visiting — Kyle Nelson and Mallory Wentzel — also escaped injury.
Residing in another apartment on the second floor was Terry O’Shaughnessy, while Sandra and Joseph Klusman resided in yet another second-floor apartment.
Living in the first floor rear apartment were Budd Houser and Daniel Houser; Mike Greenawalt and Liza Calvin lived in a first-floor, alley-side apartment and Tina Pauley resided in another first-floor apartment.
Besides Peterson and Rose Toney, no one else living in the building that contained a total of eight apartments was injured.
Minersville Fire Chief Eric Eichenberg conducted the investigation into the cause of the fire with the assistance of state police fire marshal Trooper Thomas Finn and Bowers.
The investigation determined the fire started in the area of the stove in the Peterson apartment and has been ruled accidental.
Firefighters arriving at the scene found heavy fire coming from the Peterson apartment to the rear of the building. Crews managed to quickly knock down the flames containing the majority of the fire damage to that one apartment.
All of those displaced by the fire are being assisted by the Tri-County Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Patty Daley, disaster team captain, and three other Red Cross representatives were at the scene and spoke with residents of the building, obtaining information and determining what type of assistance each needed.
Assisting Minersville firefighters were volunteers from Pottsville, Llewellyn, Hecksherville and Frackville along with the Schuylkill Haven Rapid Intervention Team.