WEST ELIZABETH, Pa. -- The fire marshal is investigating a fire that tore through a funeral home in West Elizabeth Friday morning.

It took crews more than an hour to put out the flames at Finney Funeral Home in the 800 block of Fourth Street.

WTAE Channel 4 Action News' Sheldon Ingram reported that five adults and three children lived in two apartments above the funeral home.

One of the women who lived in the building noticed the electricity went out. When she opened a fuse box, she said sparks started shooting out and she raced to get everyone out of the building, Ingram reported.

"As I opened up the fuse box, the breakers were hissing at me and one of them popped," said Nanette Kerecman. I ran away. I was a little scared. I ran."

Among those Kerecman rescued were her sister and their children.

"I turned around and the flames were shooting at me, the smoke was pouring at me. I couldn't see," said Amy Hofmeister.

Two adults and one child were not home at the time of the fire. Everyone else was able to get out safely.

Neighbor and volunteer firefighter Jim Halt wasn't surprised when he got the call, but was when he saw where it was for.

"My pager went off, and when I sat up and saw the address, I knew it was right across the street from my house, so I looked outside my bedroom window," said Jim Halt.

The Red Cross is helping those affected by the fire, but it won't be the same for those displaced from their homes during the holidays.

"It's Christmas and I'm homeless, it's horrible. Where do you go? How do you start?" said Kerecman.

Hofmeister said she's happy that she still has her family and that they won't let the fire stop them from enjoying the holidays.

"We'll make new memories because we're all here and we'll be together forever, so I'm just thankful for that and it's going to be a merry Christmas because we'll all be here," said Hofmeister.

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