A Gallitzin family is facing another tragedy this year and just two weeks away from Christmas.
On Saturday evening, multiple fire crews responded to the scene of a structure fire at the home of the late Gallitzin Fire Chief.
The current Gallitzin Fire Chief, Jim Nagle says this is a very overwhelming time for the family of the late Gallitzin Fire Chief Christopher Cox as they not only lost their husband and father in August but now their home.
“We were dispatched for a reported structure fire Seeing the address, of course, noticed the, noticed the house and whose it was and we responded from there. This was the house of our past Chief, Chris Cox who passed away in August from kidney cancer related to fire service”.
“It was, you know, everybody knew the address and all the neighboring departments they knew who it was and there was a great turnout”.
Upon responding to the scene, “There was a lot of heat, fire and smoke and water damage on the first floor. Second floor was mainly water and smoke damage as well as to the attic”.
And 5 animals were pulled from the home 2 dogs, 2 cats, and a bearded dragon.
Nagle says crews, “Did C.P.R on one dog and a cat. The one cat that the C.P.R. was performed on survived. Unfortunately, the one dog, they had to put him to sleep last night and the other cat didn’t survive the fire”.
“The family will be displaced for some time, Like I said, they lost their husband and their father in August and just very overwhelming right now for them”.
The State Fire Police Marshal continues to investigate the cause of the fire.