Firefighters tell man to stop running into fire to save pets

COPLAY, Pa. – Pennsylvania firefighters say a man thought to be trapped in a burning home was actually on a mission to save his pets.

Fire officials say John Horwith kept going back into the burning house Tuesday night to look for his cats and dogs. Fire Chief Robin Hood tells The Morning Call (http://bit.ly/2lSv6ts ) that the home’s three floors were ablaze when firefighters yelled for Horwith to abandon his search and get out.

The chief says two dogs and one cat had been rescued. He says a couple cats were unaccounted for.

Hood says he doesn’t fault Horwith, but there reaches a point where “you’ve got to protect the human factor first.”

Officials say the building was a 19th century hotel that was converted to a home many years ago. Horwith and his wife were not hurt.

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Information from: The Morning Call, http://www.mcall.com