Three people escaped an early-morning house fire on Moselle Avenue between East Ferry and Box in Buffalo. One of the three had to be rescued and is in critical condition at Erie County Medical Center.
Buffalo Fire was called to the two-alarm blaze at 5:45 a.m. Upon entering the house, a 30-year-old woman was found unresponsive on the floor of the home and given CPR. She was transferred to ECMC for treatment, and is listed in critical condition.
The department reports some of the house's windows were boarded up, contributing to the intense heat inside the building. The fire was so hot it charred the breathing apparatus of one of the rescuing firefighters.
Another woman and man were able to escape the fire on their own. The 30-year-old man also suffered burns, and is in serious condition at ECMC.
Fire officials suspect the blaze started on the second floor of the home. Fire commissioner Garnell Whitfield says the fire may have started from overloaded wiring, as a marijuana-growing operation was said to be on the third floor. An electric meter was improperly tapped, and there were numerous extension cords found in the house.
