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Kids escape large fire in Westmoreland County, neighbor helps boy to safety

MANOR, Pa. — Firefighters battled a house fire in Manor Borough, Westmoreland County.

Emotional but filled with gratitude — Deborah Woods is thanking the neighbors and firefighters who stepped in to help save her three grandchildren from this fast-moving fire in Manor Thursday morning.

“You can always rebuild, having your family is very important for me,” explained Woods. “I’m happy that they’re all okay but it’s very sad, they lost everything... there’s no words the things going on right at this moment.”

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The next-door neighbor, only known as Bob, jumped in to help — rescuing Deborah’s 10-year-old grandson from the Blaine Avenue home — as her other two teenage grandchildren, aged 16 and 15, broke a window and escaped from the back of the house.

“You know what, I wanna kiss bob. Bob is such a great neighbor, he’s always been there.. (but to)... I just want to give him a huge hug and say thank you so much for doing what he did for my grandkids.”

Manor Fire Department said it is still investigating the cause of the fire, but neighbors said they believe the flames started on the front porch.

First responders not only had to contend with the flames but the intense heat.

Two firefighters and all three kids were taken to the hospital to be checked but were treated and released.

The family is now left to rebuild their lives from the ground up.