JON MEYER
WNEP
Reprinted with Permission

Fire ripped through a house near Hazleton Sunday morning. The couple inside had to crawl from a second-story balcony to safety.


The fire at the home on Lori Drive near Hazleton was so intense, it took firefighters a while to put out hot spots after they knocked down all the flames.

Neighbors said they were the first to call 911 for help. "I heard people yelling, 'Help us, help us,' and I looked and I saw a lot of smoke," said neighbor Barbara Piccione.

Homeowners Mike and Michelle Klesh were stuck on a second-story balcony, smoke billowing around them.

"I was really scared because they were upstairs and I was really afraid someone was really going to get hurt," added Piccione.

Mike Klesh clung to his wife and lowered her. She ran and got a ladder so he could get down. They tried putting the fire out with a hose, but looking at all the damage, it was clear that did nothing.

Neighbors said the flames were intense.

"The wind started picking up and then the windows blew out and it went way out of control. You couldn't even stand by the house anymore," said neighbor Michael Piccione.

Those involved said they see fires on the news all the time, but dealing with it in person was surreal.

"Fear and panic. You read of what to do but you don't think about what to do when it actually happens to your own friends and neighbors," added Michael Piccione.

Firefighters said the Kleshs are lucky. They had only one smoke detector, but it did not wake them.

Firefighters said when the couple happened to get up around 8 a.m., their house was burning.

"Today's day and age for a $20, $30 smoke detector to save your life. If this was in the middle of the night the consequences would have been worse," said Hazle Township Fire Chief Scott Kostician.

The Kleshs said they had let their homeowners insurance lapse so they are not covered now that their home was destroyed.