How Did Marvin Gruber and Zachary Paris Die? Lehigh Valley Firefighters Cause of Death Explained
On Wednesday night in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, a three-alarm house fire claimed the lives of two firefighters who had already succumbed to their wounds.
How did Pennsylvania firefighters Zachary Paris and Marvin Gruber die?
In Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, two volunteer firefighters who perished while putting out a house fire have been identified.
Zachary Paris, an assistant fire chief, and Marvin Gruber, a 59-year-old firefighter from Community Fire Company New Tripoli in Lehigh County, per the Pennsylvania State Police, died after being called to the fire in the 1100 block of Clamtown Road in West Penn Township at around 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
Late on Wednesday night, the Frederick County, Maryland, Career Firefighters Association wrote on Facebook about Paris’ passing.
It’s with the heaviest of hearts that we share the news of the passing of Frederick County Firefighter Zachary Paris.
Tragically, Firefighter Paris was killed battling a house fire earlier this evening in Schuylkill County, PA with his brothers and sisters from New Tripoli Fire Company.”
“Rest easy brother. We’ll take it from here.”
Pennsylvania firefighters Cause of Death
The Pennsylvania firefighters died on Wednesday while putting out a fire in Schuylkill County.
According to Fox 29, the firefighters made several mayday signals while they were stuck on the second floor of the property.
The Schuylkill County Coroner’s Office declared both firefighters dead after they were pulled from the flames.
The men were discovered dead around 6:10 p.m. at St. Luke’s Hospital Miners Campus in Coaldale after being rescued from a house fire in West Penn Township close to Tamaqua.
Pennsylvania firefighters cause of death has not been fully revealed by the police. Police have announced they died of wounds from the fire.
Who are the Pennsylvania Firefighters?
According to Trooper David Beohm, the deceased firefighters were Marvin Gruber, 59, and Assistant Fire Chief Zachary Paris, both of the New Tripoli Fire Company.
Paris was a firefighter in Frederick County, Maryland, and the first assistant chief of the New Tripoli fire company. Paris joined the Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Service in February, and she was given the Green Valley Fire Station as a job assignment, according to a Facebook post from the Career Firefighters Association of Frederick County. According to the post, Paris was married and had two young girls.
Gruber served as the department of public safety’s assistant chief, according to the Northampton Community College website.
House Fire Incident
Around 4 p.m., firefighters were called in response to a complaint of an entrapped home fire.
According to Trooper David C. Boehm, Troop L’s public relations officer, “a number of maydays were granted” as they were searching the home.
At a news conference held at the scene on Wednesday night, Boehm stated that three fire marshals were looking into the fire.
Another one Dead
Another individual was discovered dead in the woods behind the home at 1121 Clamtown Road, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Initial reports said that it was a resident of the home, but state police stated that they were looking into the person’s identification.
Whether that body is directly connected to tonight’s fire is presently unknown, according to the police.
Fire departments from many counties have several crews on the site. As the fire has been rekindling in various areas of the house, tankers have started carrying water in.
Pennsylvania State Police Trooper David Beohm said,
“Along with the house fire, there was a body located on this property, behind the property, so that is still an active investigation on how the person died, who that person was.”
Neighbor Statement
Joseph Fritz, a neighbor, claimed to have known the family residing in the home for a very long time. He claimed that the mother passed away several years ago and the father last year. Their daughter might have also been residing there, along with their son who had a long-term impairment.
Fritz described the son as a quiet yet friendly man.
“I go by a lot and see him and he waves.”
“He never bothered anybody.”
Investigation
Just before 4 o’clock, they claimed, more than 100 firefighters and police officers arrived.
Two residents of the three-story single-family home, identified by West Penn Township Police Chief James Bonner as “an uncle and nephew,” managed to flee the blaze.
Two other firefighters, he claimed, were receiving medical attention for their wounds.
According to Bonner, the Pennsylvania State Police and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms are also assisting in the investigation at the live crime scene.