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Rally held in support of raising state’s minimum wage

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Pair charged in man’s fatal OD now facing trial

<p>PITTSTON &#8212; One cat died in a fire that started on a porch and spread inside a home Thursday afternoon, officials say.</p><p>Pittston City Fire Chief Jim Rooney said his department is treating the blaze as an accident due to careless smoking.</p><p>When volunteers arrived at 31 Carroll St. about 1 p.m., Rooney said they knew they would need help.</p><p>&#8220;There was heavy fire when the guys rolled up. They immediately called for a second fire crew,&#8221; Rooney said. &#8220;In the daytime, sometimes it&#8217;s tough to get people out, but we had extra crews here from multiple municipalities so we could extinguish the fire and keep the guys safe.&#8221;</p><p>The fire started on the porch on the left side of the double-block residence, Rooney said. Flames then spread through the window and into the first-floor living area. Rooney said the right side of the home was unoccupied; the two people who lived on the left side were not hurt.</p><p>The residents&#8217; dog also escaped the flames without injury. But two of their three cats had to be pulled from the home and treated with pet oxygen masks by Exeter EMS.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;ll try and see what we can do,&#8221; said Exeter rescuer Frank Evarts while the cats received medical treatment. &#8220;The other one was just overheated a bit. I think this one took too much smoke.&#8221;</p><p>Evarts was correct &#8212; that cat ended up dying. Meanwhile, a third cat initially unaccounted for later ran into the street from the home&#8217;s backyard.</p><p>Neighbor Erica Zielinski could see the blaze from her home one street over.</p><p>&#8220;It was nothing but black smoke,&#8221; Zielinski said. &#8220;Black smoke and I knew she had a dog. I wanted to make sure the dog was out. Thank God they&#8217;re OK.&#8221;</p><p>Firefighters from Pittston Township, Jenkins Township and Avoca also responded, along with EMS services from Exeter, Hughestown and Plains Township.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">A woman holds a cat after it was rescued from a fire on Carroll Street in Pittston on Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL070717PittstonFire2-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>A woman holds a cat after it was rescued from a fire on Carroll Street in Pittston on Thursday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL070717PittstonFire3-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Firemen hose off charred debris on the porch of a double-block home after a fire on Carroll Street in Pittston on Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL070717PittstonFire3-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Firemen hose off charred debris on the porch of a double-block home after a fire on Carroll Street in Pittston on Thursday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL070717PittstonFire4-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">A cat is revived after it was pulled from a house fire on Carroll Street in Pittston on Thursday. This cat survived, but another feline died. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL070717PittstonFire4-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>A cat is revived after it was pulled from a house fire on Carroll Street in Pittston on Thursday. This cat survived, but another feline died. </caption2><photoCredit2>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL070717PittstonFire1-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Fire crews are shown extinguishing a blaze at 31 Carroll St. in Pittston on Thursday. Only one side of the double-block home was occupied, and those residents got out safely. However, one of their cats perished. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_TTL070717PittstonFire1-1.jpg</photo3><caption3>Fire crews are shown extinguishing a blaze at 31 Carroll St. in Pittston on Thursday. Only one side of the double-block home was occupied, and those residents got out safely. However, one of their cats perished. </caption3><photoCredit3>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Residents OK after blaze at double-block home</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Gene Axton</p><p>gaxton@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Gene Axton at 570-991-6406 or on Twitter @GeneAxtonTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Residents escape Pittston house fire, but pet dies