Fire heavily damages Vandergrift home, but the resident, her pets, make it out safely

After Lisa Schrader heard a pop and then saw smoke, she grabbed her dog Chloe and cat Oreo and raced out of her Vandergrift home before it became consumed flames, according to her sister, Cindy Phillips of West Vandergrift.

But as firefighters worked, Schrader agonized over whether her second cat, Lincoln, was still alive inside her burning home on Whittier Street.

Phillips joyfully broke the news to her sister — Lincoln was rescued from the basement by firefighters. The feline, soaked and covered in soot, was given oxygen by ambulance personnel and reunited with its owner.

“We are just so thankful for all the firefighters and ambulance and police who helped her,” Phillips said.

The blaze was reported around 4:30 p.m. Fire officials were unavailable at the scene to provide information.

The home appeared to be heavily damaged and the front porch area was charred. Firefighters appeared to be dousing hot spots 90 minutes after flames broke out. It’s unclear how the blaze started.

Phillips said her sister was not hurt. Chloe and Oreo were safe in an SUV parked nearby.

Lincoln seemed to be doing OK, she said.

“(Schrader) burst into tears, she was just so thankful that he was alive because she thought he wasn’t going to make it,” Phillips said.

She estimated her sister has lived in the home for about 20 years. Schrader has a lot of family support to get her through the devastating situation.

“I know she’s going to say how wonderful the community is, how wonderful her neighbors are to her, the support she’s received from everybody,” Phillips said.