While the victim’s condition is unknown, his father and two people from The Dream restaurant are being credited for working together to get the man out of the burning home.

Home owner David Lafferty said he returned home from work about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon to find smoke coming from his two-and-a-half-story house. When he opened the front door, black smoke rolled from the building, he said.

Lafferty kept the door open, knowing that his dog and cat were somewhere inside, and went to the side of the house, where he climbed a ladder to the porch roof to get to his son, trapped inside a second-story room.

At the same time, The Dream owner Jim Peters and employee Adam Decker were unloading a trailer behind the building when they saw the house engulfed in flames, Decker said.

EMS personnel check out homeowner David Lafferty, who helped pull his unconscious son from his burning home in Hollidaysburg on Wednesday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Hearing that someone was trapped inside, Peters and Decker also scaled the ladder, where Lafferty was still working to rescue his son.

The unconscious victim was lying on his side by the window “like he was trying to get out,” Decker said. They had to pull out the air conditioner before getting the victim out, he said. The man was transported by ambulance to UPMC Altoona for treatment of unspecified injuries.

It’s unknown if the pets escaped the fire.

“I never saved anyone from a burning building, so it was pretty wild,” Decker said. “I thought roller coasters gave you adrenaline.”

Lafferty, Peters and Decker were cleared by medical personnel and Decker returned to work at The Dream shortly after.

Area volunteer firefighters battle a house fire at 1511 Allegheny St. in Hollidaysburg on Wednesday afternoon where a man was pulled from the second story through efforts of his father and staff from The Dream restaurant. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Phoenix Volunteer Fire Department Chief Brandon Dibona said firefighters arrived on the scene shortly after the 4:30 p.m. dispatch for a working structure fire with entrapment.

Taking note of those who helped pull the victim from the home, Dibona said “we had a lot of people step in and help, which was very much appreciated.”

He said the house was a total loss, as it sustained significant amounts of fire, smoke and water damage, but he was unsure where the fire originated. Some firefighters were evaluated by EMS for smoke inhalation, but no injuries were reported.

Lending a hand

While firefighters were battling the flames, neighbors, community members and restaurant customers stood in the parking lot and watched the scene unfold.

Area volunteer firefighters battle a house fire at 1511 Allegheny St. in Hollidaysburg on Wednesday afternoon. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

While driving on a nearby road, Tessa O’Keefe saw a “mushroom cloud” from the house, so she pulled to the side of the street to lend a helping hand.

Knowing that a witness had already called 911, O’Keefe told someone nearby to bring a ladder, and by the time she came back, she saw flames shooting from the side of the house.

Some individuals were telling Lafferty to get down from the porch roof, O’Keefe said, but Lafferty refused because his son was still stuck inside.

Neighbor Britnee Robertson was about to take an afternoon nap when her boyfriend, Garrett Ruby, answered a knock at their door from their downstairs neighbor.

“I looked out the window because our bedroom is the room right next to the house, and it was engulfed in flames,” Ruby said.

Robertson saw flames when she looked out the window, and it “felt super hot to touch,” she said.

While outside, Robertson and Ruby also saw the side of their house catch on fire, but it was quickly put out by firefighters.

“It was scary,” Robertson said.

In addition to Phoenix, Lakemont, Duncansville, Geeseytown, Freedom Township, Allegheny Township, Friendship, Newburg, Greenwood and Blue Knob fire companies and Alexandria Fire Department in Huntingdon assisted on the scene, along with the Hollidaysburg American Legion Ambulance Service and Duncansville EMS.

A state fire marshal has been called in to investigate, but the fire didn’t appear to be suspicious, Dibona said.

The Red Cross and the Salvation Army offered their services to the affected family and the firefighters.

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.