A Saturday night fire in Wilkes-Barre claimed the life of one man and two family pets. The Wilkes-Barre Fire Department was dispatched to a home on Columbus Street shortly after 7 p.m., where the first arriving crews found the front of the structure fully engulfed in flames.
The fire spread quickly, prompting officials to call for second and third alarms within thirty minutes of arrival. Firefighters from Hanover Township and Kingston assisted Wilkes-Barre crews in battling the blaze and preventing it from spreading to neighboring properties. Despite their efforts, the victim and the animals did not survive the intense heat and smoke. The identity of the man has not yet been released pending notification of his family. State and local fire marshals remain on the scene as the investigation into the cause of the fire continues.

