Two women died in separate, unrelated fires early Wednesday morning

SUPPLIED PHOTO Lois Breon, 81, died of smoke inhalation when her home on Zinck Road in Mifflin Township burst into flames around 4:30 a.m. on Oct. 30, 2024.

JERSEY SHORE – Two people died early Wednesday morning in separate, unrelated residential fires, according to Lycoming County Coroner Charles E. Kiessling Jr..

Kiessling said the first fire occurred around 4:30 a.m. at a single-story ranch-style home at 226 Zinck Road in Mifflin Township, where Lois Breon, 81, lived with her son. Although Matthew’s son managed to escape, his mother was pronounced dead at 5:50 a.m. at Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital after being rescued by volunteer firefighters, Kiessling added.

The second fire, a few miles east of the Breons’ home at 1547 W. Emerys Church Road in Woodward Township, involved a mobile home where Lori Toner, 56, lived alone with her two dogs and three cats, Kiessling said. Fire Chief Richard Whalen said a passerby reported the fire around 6:45 a.m.

Kiessling said Toner, whose body was found in the hallway near the back door, died at the scene. It was suspected that she might have tried to escape when she fell in the corridor, he added.

He added that both she and Breon died of smoke inhalation. Kiessling said there was no evidence the fires were related. Both fires were investigated by the State Police Fire Marshal’s Office. While nothing has been released about the origin or cause of the Mifflin Township fire, Whalen said the fire department told him the fire on Emerys Church Road was the result of careless burning. Both properties were destroyed by fires.

Citizens Hose Fire Chief Ethan Goodbrod, who was in charge of the fire on Zinck Road, said Breon’s son was already out of the house when a firefighter who lived a few doors away arrived on the scene. However, the man said his mother was trapped in the burning structure.

When the first fire truck arrived, one pair of firefighters entered the home through the front door with a hose while the other pair focused on getting to Breon, Goodbrod said.

“Firefighters pulled her out of the bedroom window.” after they found her unconscious on the floor, he said. “When we arrived at the scene, firefighters extricated her within three to four minutes,” he added. he added.

Kiessling said Breon was taken by ambulance to the hospital, but attempts to resuscitate her were unsuccessful.

Firefighters who arrived at the fire were able to see it “orange glow” in the sky about half a mile away. It took firefighters about 20 minutes to bring the flames under control. In addition to firefighters from both fire companies in the borough, volunteers from several Lycoming and Clinton counties responded to the fire.

The second fire occurred a half-mile east of Pine Run Road. When Whalen arrived on scene, he reported that a camper trailer was on fire. The firefighters had no idea Toner was inside until her son arrived during the fire and told them he believed she was there. Whalen noticed that there was no car in the driveway.

Whalen said several fire departments that responded to the initial fire, including Woodward Township, were immediately released into action after the mobile home fire because their services were no longer needed in Mifflin Township. Firefighters from Lock Haven and South Williamsport, who had been waiting at the Citizens fire station on Locust Street to respond to other emergency calls, also arrived at West Emerys Church Road.

Whalen had the fire under control at 7:10 a.m. He said that less than 6,000 liters of water were used to extinguish the fire. Toner’s two dogs also died in the fire, but there were two to three cats running around the property, Whalen said.

It is believed this may be the first time in decades that two people have died on the same day in fires at separate structures in the county.