UPDATED: Two Bridgeville Homes Damaged by Fire

Brittany Steffl thought the thumping sound she heard inside her Bridgeville home Saturday night was her young children playing a little too loudly. Instead, it was a fire quickly spreading from her Patterson Avenue neighbor’s home to her own residence.

Steffl said she immediately grabbed her 18-month-old son, Roman, and ran from his bedroom.

“I thought they were playing or pounding something,” Steffl said. “But it just went up. (The flames) came straight at me and I took off. One more second…”

Her husband, Bobby, and daughter, Isabella, were not injured, either. However, the fire caused extensive damage to Steffl’s home at 252 Patterson Ave. and appeared to do even more damage to her neighbor’s house at 260 Patterson.

Witnesses said the fire appeared to originate around 7:30 p.m. at 260 Patterson with flames shooting at least 20 feet into the air. Neighbors said the homeowners, Maria and Tom McDermott, were away at a wedding at the time of the blaze. Friends stood outside discussing how they could help the families by collecting spare clothes.

Bridgeville fire Chief Bill Chilleo said the fire began on the side porch at 260 Patterson Ave. A grill's propane tank and the natural gas meter near the deck may have fed the fire, Chilleo said.

"For the amount of fire we had and everything going on, the firemen did a good job containing it," Chilleo said.

The Allegheny County Fire Marshal was called to the scene to investigate. At least nine fire departments assisted Bridgeville at the scene of the blaze because of the sweltering heat during the day.