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NEWTOWN – Two firefighters were injured Wednesday afternoon battling a house fire in the 200 block of Aronimink Drive in Newtown Township.

Newtown Square Fire Company Chief Doug Everlof said the injuries happened when a firefighters’ self-contained breathing apparatus became caught on the sill as the firefighter was coming out of the upper story window.  A second firefighter from Broomall came across the roof to aid him and fell through the roof.

“The one fell off the roof and the other dove off the roof because of the fire condition,” Everlof said. “At that point we evacuated the building and went to exterior operations.”

The firefighter who fell through received minor burns. Both firefighters were taken to an area hospital for observation, Everlof said.

Both have been released from the hospital, he said.

Everlof said the residents got out of the home safely. The initial reports were that a woman went back inside but she was able to get out.

The home is divided between a woman and her husband living upstairs, another woman lives in another bedroom upstairs and they share a common area downstairs, Everlof said.

The one resident arrived home and changed clothes and was going down to cook dinner when a neighbor banged on the door to tell her the house was on fire, the chief said.

She went back upstairs and opened the door to the other bedroom, saw heavy smoke and got out.

“When I arrived there was heavy smoke from the roof,” the chief said. “Once we got our guys in there, we were pulling ceilings it really kind of broke out and ran the void space between the ceiling and the roof on the second floor.”

Everlof said pulling plaster lathe ceiling and walls made it difficult to get to the flames.

Crews used Class A nontoxic foam which allows water to penetrate burning materials more effectively, and thus, making water work more efficiently, he said.

Newtown Square, Broomall, Rose Tree, Media, Radnor, Manoa, Edgmont, Bon Air fire companies along with Marple ambulance rehab unit and medics from Main Line Health assisted at the scene.

Firefighters had the fire under control in 50 minutes and Everlof estimated damage at over $200,000 to $250,000.

Everlof said at least one smoke alarm did sound.

The cause is under investigation by the township fire marshal.

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