New Castle apartment fire injures 2

NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Two people were injured in a fire at a Lawrence County Housing Authority apartment complex on Halco Drive this morning.
Assistant Fire Chief David Joseph said Thomas Strayley was severely burned and Kimberly McCarns was found unconscious in the apartment they shared at 375 Halco Drive.
Joseph said firefighters got the call at 7:20 a.m. and found Strayley outside when they arrived. He told authorities that he was able to crawl out a window and knock on a neighbor's door for help.
The fire, which appeared to have started in a couch in the living room, was out, Joseph said, noting it apparently hadn't gotten sufficient oxygen to expand and burned itself out.
Firefighters found McCarns lying on the kitchen floor, he said. She had suffered minor burns and was covered with soot, he said.
Fire officials said both victims were taken to Jameson Memorial Hospital. However, a Jameson spokeswoman said Strayley was not brought there. She said McCarns was brought to Jameson, but then flown to Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh. The conditions and ages of the victims were not available.
Joseph said a state police fire marshal was called in to inspect the scene and determine the case of the blaze.
The fire was confined to the area around the couch but there was extensive heat and smoke damage elsewhere, Joseph said.