Pennsylvania Man Rescued from House Fire

A Scottdale man who was rescued from his burning home by emergency crews Monday night remained in fair condition at UPMC Mercy in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

David Seaman was carried out of his Arthur Avenue home by Scottdale police Patrolmen Joe Lane and Thomas Mortimer, and Mutual Aid Ambulance technician John Rulli shortly after the fire started about 9:40 p.m.

“We tried the front door, but there was too much smoke. We broke a window, but still there was still too much smoke,” Lane said.

They finally went to a back door, where Rulli spotted Seaman at the foot of the stairs, Lane said.

The three carried Seaman, who was conscious, out of the house to an ambulance.

Seaman, who is in his 60s, had been alone in the house.

He was flown to UPMC Mercy, his son, Jim Seaman of Belle Vernon, said as he stood outside the brick home watching firefighters. His father undergoes dialysis three times a week and uses a cane to get around, his son said.

Lisa Coughanour, a neighbor across the street, said she smelled smoke and thought her house was on fire. When she checked the living room, she saw through a window that Seaman’s house was burning.

“Both front windows were engulfed in flames,” Coughanour said. She dialed 911.

Smoke and fire were billowing from a front bedroom window when firefighters arrived, said Jim Echard, Scottdale safety officer.

A state police fire marshal is investigating the cause, Echard said.

“At this point, it’s of unknown origin,” he said.

The bedroom sustained fire damage, and most of the home had smoke and water damage, Echard said.

“I think the guys did a good job,” he said. “It was a good hit.”

Six fire companies responded to the blaze.