Three Hospitalized In Kitchen Fire That Damaged Manchester Home

Three people were hospitalized Monday in a kitchen fire at a Manchester house, police said.

At 5:30 p.m., Manchester Township Police responded to 86A Buckingham Drive for a reported structure fire. Officers Brian Collins and Matthew Juralewicz were the first to arrive and reported a heavy smoke condition coming from within the residence, police said.

Both officers entered the home and assisted two occupants out of the residence. A short time later, Officer Arthur Cronk arrived and was able to shut down the power to the residence, police said.

After searching the home, Collins located a 59-year-old female in a rear bedroom that was filled with dark smoke. The woman was experiencing difficulty breathing and was incoherent when the officer made contact with her, police said.

She was transported to Community Medical Center and was treated and released on Monday evening. Both Collins and Juralewicz were also transported to Community Medical Center and treated and released for complaints related to smoke inhalation.

Through the investigation, it was determined that the fire started when the homeowners left their dinner unattended on the stove. The fire damaged some parts of the stove and kitchen area, and the smoke engulfed approximately 60 percent of the house, police said.

The Manchester and Ridgeway Fire Companies responded and ventilated the residence so the occupants could remain in the dwelling. Quality Medical Transport and Medic unit 211 transported the injured parties to Community Medical Center.