Tot Dies in House Fire
By: Jasmine Brooks
Updated: February 17, 2013
Towanda, Bradford County- "I went around the back of the house and John said, "Neal I'm over here, I'm over here." He said JT is still in there." says, Neal Cretelle. The life of a two-year-old boy was taken after a devastating fire in Towanda. A family of four, including two young boys, lived inside this Fourth Street home. Neal Cretelle is a neighbor and friend of the victims. It was just before midnight Friday night when he saw the violent flames. "I looked out the back window and I seen that the bottom of the house where the car port was, just totally engulfed in flames." he says. Neal immediately ran to the fire, where he found everyone except the two-year-old. He asked the father what happened to the toddler. "I said where's JT? Where's JT? He said he's up there, and pointed to a second story window." says, Neal. In this time of chaos, Neal did all he could to help. "I said i'll go get my ladder. I ran to my house, got my ladder. We attempted to rescue JT, but the smoke was too hot. There was a lot of smoke." Ultimately, the two-year-old child could not be saved. Two adults and their ten-month-old baby escaped from a second story window. Several fire crews were on scene, along with the Towanda Police Department. Officer Joshua Lake says, it's tragedies like this one that make his job the hardest. "It is one of the hardest part of our jobs. It's nothing we wish to see or deal with on any day. " says, Officer Lake.
