Thursday, December 8, 2022

Identities of Firefighters from Schuylkill County Fatal Fire Released

The identities of the two firefighters that died from their injuries suffered in a fire in West Penn Township has been released.

According to the Schuylkill County Coroner's Office, Marvin Gruber, 59, and Assistant Chief Zachary Paris, 36, both of New Tripoli and members of the New Tripoli Fire Company in Lehigh County, have been identified as the victims.

Around 3:45pm, Wednesday, emergency personnel were called to 1121 Clamtown Road/Route 443, West Penn Township, near Tamaqua for a structure fire with possible entrapment.

An hour into the incident, two maydays, received from Paris and Gruber were received from the second floor.  The RIT jumped into action and went into the blaze to rescue the two firefighters, who were then transported to the St. Luke's Miners Hospital in Coaldale.

Gruber and Paris would both pass away from their injuries and would be pronounced by Schuylkill County Deputy Coroners Ken O'Reilly and Andrew Szczyglak.

Additionally, the Coroner's office was called to the scene of the fire after the body of a third person was found near the scene of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The incident is still under investigation by the West Penn Township Police as well as the Pennsylvania State Police.  As of midnight, Thursday, fire personnel and police were still at the scene.