A woman and her grown son died in a house fire in Butler Township just after midnight today.
The woman's multiple oxygen tanks were exploding as firefighters arrived on scene in the 800 block of East Jefferson Street, according to Mercer Road volunteer fire Chief Keven Kelly.
"We weren't certain of how many victims. It was unstable and too far advanced," Kelly said.
Firefighters had the fire under control in about an hour and first found the body of Margaret Scheetz, 65, said coroner Larry Barr. Her body was in the back of the house near a stairway.
"It looked like she was going for help or something," Barr said.
The woman was a heavy smoker and used oxygen, Barr said a family member told him. Her bedroom was located at the front of the house, Barr said.
"The whole front of the house was gone," said Barr, who arrived at the scene around 3:30 a.m.
The body of Jake Scheetz, 43, was discovered after Barr arrived. Firefighters discovered the son's body after the roof and second story, where his room was located, collapsed, Barr said.
Autopsies are scheduled to be performed at 5 p.m.
Smoking while on oxygen is a dangerous combination, Barr said. It might be difficult, however, to determine exactly what caused the fire, he said.
"Whether she was doing it or not, we'll never known," Barr said. "Right now, it's all guesswork."
Fire Marshal Larry Christy could not be reached for immediate comment. A township official said he was still at the scene.
Neighbor Ron Leight, 71, was watching television around midnight when he heard a lot of yelling in front of his home.
"I saw flames shooting out of Margaret's bedroom window," he said. "It was pretty noisy, about four fairly good booms. Then the power lines came down sparking."
He said Margaret Scheetz and his wife would get together and talk about gardening and share flower cuttings. Her son "would do anything for you," from carrying groceries to cutting the grass.
"Just thinking of Jake, we're really going to miss him," Leight said.
Butler Township and the state fire marshals are investigating.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
