Published: January 28, 2008 11:57 am      

Resort Blaze Fatal

Seven Springs fire kills 2 people

SEVEN SPRINGS, Pa. - After being awakened by the screams of a police officer knocking on doors, Kevin Herb and Robert Williams loaded belongings into their vehicles as smoke poured from a neighboring condominium at Seven Springs Mountain Resort early Sunday.

It wasn't until later in the morning that they found out the fire claimed the lives of two people sleeping in a nearby unit.

The bodies of Sasha Zuro, 26, and Jonathan Murt, 22, both of Belle Vernon, Fayette County, were discovered after volunteers had knocked down the flames.

"You assumed everybody was safe," said Williams, 54, of Fairfax, Va., who was renting a condo five units down from where the fire was. "If we'd have known, we'd have kicked in a window on the deck or something.

"It just crushes you ... Maybe we could have made a difference."

Zuro and Murt, who were visiting the resort with friends, died from smoke inhalation, Somerset County Coroner Wallace Miller said. Zuro's body was found in a bedroom, while Murt was discovered near the kitchen.

A state police fire marshal said the fire is considered to be accidental and apparently started in a fireplace in a condo next door to where Zuro and Murt were staying.

In all, five condominiums in the 12-condo building on SunRidge Road - part of The Villages overlooking the resort - were destroyed or heavily damaged, resort spokesman Bob Duppstadt said. Two others sustained smoke damage.

Displaced occupants were being housed in the hotel or other condominiums.

Herb and Williams and their families, who were renting a condo at the resort, were staying Sunday night in a nearby condominium.

A damage estimate was not immediately available, but it is expected to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Sixteen fire departments battled the intense blaze for hours, including volunteers from Seven Springs, New Centerville, Bakersville, Sipesville, Somerset, Garrett and Rockwood, along with several from Westmoreland County, Somerset County 911 dispatchers said. The fire was reported at 1:05 a.m.

The Seven Springs fire chief could not immediately be reached for comment Sunday evening.

Miller said Zuro and Murt were staying at Seven Springs with the son of the condo's owner and his girlfriend, who were at the Lodge when the fire broke out.

"From what I understand, they went up to visit for the weekend," Miller said.

Herb, 51, of Fairfax Station, Va., said witnesses told him the fire started when the occupant in one of the condos put extra logs in the fireplace and fell asleep.

Duppstadt said it is believed to be the first fatal fire in a condo at the resort. A similar fire occurred in 1993, but no one was killed.

The condo unit was equipped with smoke detectors, but was not required to have sprinklers, he said.

"We want to extend our sympathy to the families," he said.

"It's a terrible occurrence. But we had a pretty incredible response from volunteer fire departments in three counties."

Kirk Swauger is a staff writer for the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat.