Firefighters worked for more than 10 hours to extinguish the Derry Borough apartment fire and address hot spots, WPXI reported. Officials cited hoarder conditions in the woman’s apartment as a factor that complicated the effort. The cause of the fire has not been disclosed.
The fire broke out late Monday night in Derry Borough, Westmoreland County, CBS News Pittsburgh reported. WPXI reported that a disabled elderly woman died. The Westmoreland County Coroner had not released her name while her family was being notified.
Two neighbors, Matthew Hetrick and John Brown, escaped the fire. WPXI reported that both described losing nearly all of their possessions.
For broader context, the U.S. Fire Administration’s Pennsylvania statistics page lists 2023 national averages of 5.8 deaths and 19.7 injuries per 1,000 residential structure fires. For all fire types, the listed averages are 2.1 deaths and 6.4 injuries per 1,000 fires.
