Two firefighters taken to hospital in Edwardsville blaze

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EDWARDSVILLE — Two firefighters were taken to the hospital while responding to a morning fire in Edwardsville.

The building that caught fire was the office building used by the late Magistrate District Judge James Haggerty, who died March 20.

According to Edwardsville Fire Chief Bill Court, first responders arrived at 57 Russell St. around 10:15 a.m., where an internal fire was visible through the building’s side windows. Firefighters attempted to enter the building from the roof, where the first of two firefighters passed out.

Less than 20 minutes later, a second firefighter fainted as a result of the conditions, which included heavy smoke, severe heat and an almost complete lack of visibility on the inside of the building.

Both firefighters were tended to by the Hanover Rapid Intervention Team, and both were alert and conscious by the time they had left the scene for further evaluation, according to Court. The fire chief speculated that dehydration was the root cause of the firefighters’ loss of consciousness.

Court did not reference any injuries to the public as a result of the fire.

Once the firefighters were able to enter the building, they smashed the windows to relieve the intense conditions. At that point, they were able to extinguish the blaze.

The Pennsylvania State Police fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.

Court described the damage as “moderate to severe,” but said the building could be renovated to continue operations, which had continued following Haggerty’s death.

In addition to the Edwardsville Fire Department and Hanover Rapid Intervention Team, first responders on the scene included the Kingston and Forty Fort fire departments, Kingston Ambulance, Trans-Med Ambulance Services, and the Wilkes-Barre Rapid Intervention Unit.