Man killed in Venetia house fire
Firefighters work at the scene of a fatal house fire on Bower Hill Road in Peters Township early Friday morning.
Firefighters work at the scene of a fatal fire on Bower Hill Road in Peters Township.
Firefighters work at the scene of a fatal fire on Bower Hill Road in Peters Township.
Firefighters work at the scene of a fatal fire on Bower Hill Road in Peters Township.
Firefighters work at the scene of a fatal fire on Bower Hill Road in Peters Township.
VENETIA – A man was killed and his wife was injured in a house fire that broke out shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday in Venetia.
William Burton Philips Sr., 84, was pronounced dead at 1:05 a.m. by Washington County Coroner S. Timothy Warco.
Peters Township fire Chief Dan Coyle said Philips’ wife, Naomi Philips, was taken by ambulance to St. Clair Hospital and later transported to UPMC-Mercy hospital in Pittsburgh.
The extent of her injuries was not known. UPMC did not immediately provide her condition.
“I know that the crew got her out and right to EMS, who were standing by,” Coyle said.
Naomi Philips was found in a bathroom, Coyle said.
A dog perished in the fire.
Neighbors at the scene said firefighters searched for William Philips.
Tom Groff, who lived next door to the couple for more than four decades, said William Philips was working on a generator earlier in the evening because he had lost power during a thunderstorm.
Groff and his son-in-law, Bob Hoag, offered to help him with the generator about 9:35 p.m., but Philips declined, they said.
Hoag said flames were shooting from the house when he later went outside. They were coming from the garage area, where the generator was, he said.
Coyle said the origin of the fire is being investigated by a state police fire marshal.
Groff was shocked by the fire and his neighbor’s death.
“We’re not family, but it’s a loss,” Hoag said.
“He never asked you to do anything for him,” he added, “but he was always doing things for other people.”
Hoag said he was with Naomi Philips before she was taken to the hospital.
“Naomi, you’re going to be all right,” Hoag said he told the woman inside the ambulance.
Groff said he and William Philips, who was a retired electrician, were close friends and went big-game hunting out West and in Alaska over the years.
“He was a really nice guy,” Groff said. “We never think anything like this could happen here.”
Three years ago, in May 2014, William Philips, a son of the couple, died in Fayette County when his kayak capsized on the Youghiogheny River.
Firefighters from North Strabane Township, Bethel Park, Washington and Finleyville assisted Peters Township Fire Department.