Man Rescued From Roof Of Burning Newtown Home

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A resident was rescued from the roof of a burning townhouse after a fire broke out in the Newtown Gate development on the Fourth of July.

Newtown Fire and Emergency Services, along with companies from nearby towns, were called to Nathan Court around 1:20 p.m. for a building fire with possible entrapment.

Northampton Township Fire Company's Rescue 3 had been on a call at Buck and Middle Holland roads when it heard the initial dispatch. Due to their close proximity, they immediately added themselves to the call and diverted to the scene, according to Newtown Fire Chief Glenn Forsyth.

The crew was first on scene, arriving within three minutes of the call. They immediately went into service, quickly putting up ladders and successfully rescuing the man from the roof of the building, according to Forsyth.

"It was perfect timing for us. Rescue 3 was on a call in the lower end of Northampton Township and they were literally a mile away from the house. They did a great job," said the chief.

Northampton Township Fire Chief Adam Selisker added that the backbone of the fire service is its mutual aid system. "And it's important that each town helps each other all the time. That's how we respond to emergencies.

"My crew was in the area. They heard the call. And they didn't hesitate," he said. "They knew that's where they needed to go. They were close and they knew they could make a difference and they did. It was a good call."

The man rescued from the roof was treated on the scene for burns to his feet and the back of his neck and was transported to the hospital by the Newtown Ambulance Squad.

Firefighters arriving on scene immediately went in service with multiple hand lines, both on the exterior and interior of the building. Other firefighters, including a crew from Yardley-Makefield, assisted with opening up the roof and placing ground ladders.

The fire was placed under control at 1:50 p.m., but crews remained on the scene until just before 5 p.m. extinguishing hot spots and conducting overhaul operations.

"All the firefighters there did a fantastic job," said Forsyth. "There was a cinder block fire wall between the two buildings. That assisted us in containing the fire to one unit."

Responding companies included the Newtown Fire and Emergency Services, Northampton Township, Langhorne-Middletown, Yardley-Makefield, the Penndel Rapid Intervention Team and Parkland. Feasterville and Upper Makefield served as cover companies.

Firefighters were assisted on the scene by investigators Kevin Dippolito from Bristol Township and Tim Chamberlain from Yardley-Makefield.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.