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Fire at Washington County senior high-rise leaves resident dead

1 killed, 1 hospitalized after fire at Washington County senior high-rise
1 killed, 1 hospitalized after fire at Washington County senior high-rise 02:09

SOUTH STRABANE, Pa. (KDKA) — A resident is dead and another is in the hospital after a fire at a senior high-rise in Washington County on Wednesday. 

Firefighters say they got word of a fire at the Thomas Campbell Apartments about 7:45 a.m. Officials say the fire started in a fourth floor apartment, and while it didn't spread to other units, smoke filled the air. 

As residents were moved to lower floors, firefighters and building maintenance helped put out the fire. 

Authorities said they found the remains of a 68-year-old woman, identified by the coroner as Kimberly Haines, inside the apartment where the fire is believed to have begun. Based on the preliminary investigation, officials believe the victim was smoking in bed while on oxygen. 

Another resident was taken to the hospital but their condition is unknown.

This is the second time a fire killed a resident at the high-rise. In December of 2021, an apartment fire killed a woman and forced others from their apartments. The chief of the South Strabane Fire Department says that fire prompted changes to the building. 

"The building underwent about a million dollars in renovations to upgrade again with a state-of-the-art fire detection system and the fire sprinkler system that were not on site prior to that," said Chief Jordan Cramer. 

Helen McCartney said she was inside her mother's apartment when the fire broke out. She said she threw her in her wheelchair and got her downstairs. 

"Reliving the fire from three years ago, the loss of Frannie — it all came flooding back," McCartney said. 

Because the fire was contained and put out so quickly, residents could return to their apartments.

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