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MARCIA MOORE
Reprinted with Permission, the The Daily Item
TREVORTON, Pa -- A state police trooper stationed at the Selinsgrove barracks lost his life late Thursday while battling a fire as a volunteer firefighter.
Timothy A. Diorio, 36, of 1111 W. Walnut St., responded to the fire at a home in the 900 block of West Shamokin Street in Zerbe Township.
Diorio, a volunteer firefighter for the Maine Fire Company in Coal Township, was working at the fire scene at approximately 11:15 p.m. when the burning building collapsed, state police reported this morning.
The cause of the fire was undetermined. State police investigators were at the scene this morning.
"It was really an accident waiting to happen," said Joan Miller who lives across the street from the burned two-story home.
The house was apparently used as a storage area for old furniture and garbage, she said.
"The garage was packed solid and there were leaves and broken furniture under the front porch," Miller said.
A washer and stove were also stored on the porch, she said.
The home owner’s name could not be immediately verified Friday morning, but witnesses said he was present when the fire broke out.
Neighbor Edward Campbell said he saw the home owner trying to alert 88-year-old Edith Fisher who was sleeping in an adjacent house next to the burning building.
"He was knocking on the door," Campbell said.
Knowing the elderly woman was inside the smoke-filled home, Campbell broke windows and helped Fisher escape.
"I guess I should thank you," Fisher said, tears welling in her eyes.
After guiding Fisher, wrapped in a blanket and wearing slippers, to Miller’s house across the street, Campbell watched from the front porch as dozens of firefighters battled the blaze.
"It was like hell. The fire roared," Miller said. "I never saw such a thing. The flames were rolling from underneath the porch."
Then Miller heard firefighters yell, ‘Man down’ and she knew the tragedy had escalated.
"The firefighters were in shock. They couldn’t get (Diorio) out."
Ten hours later, the men who tried to save their colleague were still in shock.
Diorio was first struck by a portion of a back porch that came down on him and then the entire burning structure collapsed, said Lester Yohe, captain of Shamokin Rescue.
"We did get him out, eventually," said one firefighter, his face still streaked with soot.
Mark Avellino, a Shamokin firefighter, described Diorio as "extremely dedicated."
"I always knew there was danger, but I never expected to lose someone," he said.
While the men worked to clean up the scene, all said they would take time later to deal with the blow of losing a friend and fellow firefighter.
"It’s going to set in later. Right now we have a job to do," Ed Zablosky said. "We all know this is a part of the job we chose to do. The community needs protection and if there’s a fire tonight, we’ll go to it.
"That’s what Timothy would do."
Investigators are asking the public to look for a 1992-1995 green Mercury Sable believed to be involved in a hit and run accident at about 11:10 p.m., about 10 minutes after the fire started.
The accident happened about 10 blocks from the fire scene. The vehicle should have damage to the right front. Those with information are asked to contact state police.
It was unknown this morning whether or not the hit-run accident was connected to the fire.
"At this time, the fire incident and traffic crash appear related only by the fact they occurred near the same location within approximately 10 minutes of each other," police said in a statement released this morning.
Other fire companies responding to the fire scene were Sunbury, East Cameron, Shamokin and Stonington.
Related:
Pennsylvania Firefighter Killed in Collapse