Hubbard man injured in fire while cleaning rifles

HUBBARD — A township man was flown by helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital for treatment of burns suffered in a house fire this evening.

Fire Chief John Clemente said Louis Krolopp, 78, was in the garage portion of a home he owns on Lewis-Seifert Road cleaning and preparing rifles for hunting season when he caught himself on fire. Clemente said Krolopp suffered burns on most of the front of his body.

Firefighters did find several hunting rifles in the shed area of the garage.

Krolopp was flown to Pittsburgh Mercy Hospital for treatment, but no additional information was available about his condition. He was coherent and able to speak to authorities upon being taken out of the house.

Firefighters spent about two hours searching the garage and shed area of the two-story structure, but Clemente said no cause for the fire has been determined.

Sheryl Krolopp, Louis Krolopp’s daughter in law, said Krolopp has owned the home for a long time, but had not lived in the house most of this year because of a previous fire at the home in the spring. He has been staying with relatives in Brookfield.

Remnants from the first fire can be seen from the street. An upstairs window in the house is blackened from fire damage and missing the glass.

Sheryl Krolopp said the house was unoccupied, but Louis Krolopp would return to the residence often to tend to the property or work in the shed.