(Credit: North Penn Fire Company / Facebook)
Commissioners President Ira S. Tackel began the meeting with a few kind words about the Bellaire Avenue family
The Upper Dublin Township Board of Commissioners at the top of their meeting Tuesday night honored Deborah and Stephen Wood Sr., two senior citizen residents who died after becoming trapped in a raging house fire around 4 a.m. April 4.
The Woods’ son, Stephen Jr., a middle school teacher at Norwood-Fontbonne Academy in Chestnut Hill, escaped the fire with burns and smoke inhalation.
“For those who may not have heard,” said board President Ira S. Tackel, on behalf of his colleagues, “we did have, last Thursday, a rather devastating fire in Upper Dublin, and two of our residents perished in the fire.”
Tackel said Fort Washington Fire Company No. 1 responded and received mutual aid from three to four surrounding municipalities.
“I was there later. The house was truly engulfed in flames,” Tackel said.
He said when the fire company arrived, there were flames shooting out the front and back of the house on the 900 block of Bellaire Avenue.
“I was told that other fire companies wouldn’t have even attempted entry into the home. And our fire company did,” Tackel said.
“Unfortunately,” he ended, “there were two adults that perished. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the rest of the family.”
Watch the video of the township meeting here.
Norwood-Fontbonne Academy, where Deborah Wood was employed for decades in instruction and curriculum at the Germantown Avenue school, honored the Woods with a prayer service this week.
First responders arrived on scene of the fire with entrapment at 4:13 a.m., encountering flames venting through the windows of the home. Wood Jr. had escaped and reported his parents were trapped inside.
Wood Jr. was taken to Temple University Hospital for treatment of burns and smoke inhalation, officials said.
Upon entering the home, firefighters found Stephen Sr. lying on the first floor of the home, and he was immediately removed and later pronounced dead at the scene. The body of Deborah was later found inside of the home during the subsequent investigation, according to township officials.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Upper Dublin Township Fire Marshal, with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal’s Office.
Fort Washington Fire Company was assisted at the scene by units from the Upper Dublin Police Department, Community Ambulance Association of Ambler, and other area fire companies.
