By FRANK ANDRUSCAVAGE
MAHANOY CITY - A borough man rescued from his apartment during an early Saturday morning blaze remains in critical condition in the trauma center at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest.
Edward Droginis, whose age was not available, was flown to the hospital after firefighters removed him from his first-floor apartment at 329-331 E. Centre St. shortly after the fire was reported at 1:56 a.m.
A hospital spokesman said Droginis was in critical condition in the burn unit.
The blaze claimed the lives of the property owners - Morris Seabra, 69, and his wife, Adele, 60 - and left another tenant, Phillip Scott, 38, homeless.
Morris and Adele Seabra were pulled from the second floor of the building shortly after firefighters arrived.
Adele Seabra was pronounced dead at the scene while Morris Seabra was taken to a Pottsville hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Scott lived on the third floor of the building and was not home at the time, according to Anthony Blackwell, Mahanoy City Fire Department safety officer and public relations officer.
Blackwell said when firefighters arrived they were met with heavy fire blowing from a foyer area on the first floor, west side of the building, where, according to Michael Yeity of Pennsylvania State Police Troop L, Reading, it is believed the fire started.
Yeity investigated the blaze along with Trooper Thomas Finn and said he is classifying the cause as undetermined. Both troopers spent most of the day Saturday digging through the rubble in the foyer to try to determine how the blaze started.
Fire Chief Randy Kalce said no specific cause has been found and that the investigation is continuing.
Firefighters managed to contain the intense flames to the apartment building at 329-331 E. Centre St., but a home at 327 E. Centre St. owned by the Seabras, and an apartment building at 325 E. Centre St. owned by DL Realty Concepts had minor smoke damage.
Blackwell said three people inside the home at 327 E. Centre St. and eight in two apartments at 325 E. Centre St. were temporarily homeless.
American Red Cross Schuylkill Chapter officials said the agency provided lodging, food and clothing for them and food and clothing for one additional adult.
The Red Cross also provided coffee and other items to emergency personnel at the fire scene.