Family Rescued from Burning House by Pendell, PA, Police Officer
A police officer and a civilian are being lauded as heroes for helping save residents from a Pendell house fire Thursday morning.
Pendell Officer Sean Peck rain toward the house across from the station after seeeing smoke. Justin Ritorto, a neighbor, was banging on the door to alert the residents. Without hesitation, he ran inside.
"I started waking up all of the people inside, and it was a chaotic scene as you can imagine, trying to wake people up at 4 a.m., and there is a massive fire going on," Peck told WLWT.
His quick action saved three children and five adults.
"I would do this for any person that I didn't know, but knowing that it's a family I have that personal rapport with, it means the world to me," he said after the rescue.
Peck said it was team effort that included Ritorto, other officers and firefighters.
About the Author
Susan Nicol
News Editor
Susan Nicol is the news editor for Firehouse.com. She is a life member and active with the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Company, Oxford Fire Company and Brunswick Vol. Fire Co. Susie has been an EMT in Maryland since 1976. Susie is vice-president of the Frederick County Fire/Rescue Museum. She is on the executive committee of Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association. She also is part of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Region II EMS Council. Susie is a board member of the American Trauma Society, Maryland Division. Prior to joining the Firehouse team, she was a staff writer for The Frederick News-Post, covering fire, law enforcement, court and legislative issues.