Schuylkill County firefighters responded to 366 structure fire calls in 2012, including two fires that claimed the lives of five people.
The fatalities were the result of two separate fires in Shenandoah - four lives were lost in one blaze and one life was lost in the second.
On March 27, Tiffany Matejick Sanchez and her son, Christian Sanchez, 10, died in a blaze along with the woman's two nephews, Damian Lopez, 10, and Aziah Hernandez, 7 months.
Matejick Sanchez was able to get her other son, Diego Sanchez, 8, out of a back window and onto a roof of their 117 E. Coal St. home before flames engulfed the room, fire officials said.
Diego Sanchez suffered from smoke inhalation and burns but has since recovered from his injuries.
The blaze destroyed that home and three others, leaving a total of 11 people homeless.
Later in the year, on July 7, a 52-year-old Shenandoah man died after a fire tore through his home and an attached, unoccupied home.
Samuel J. Nitolo Jr., 222 W. Columbus St., was rescued from his home during a heroic effort by firefighters but died a short time later.
Schuylkill County Deputy Coroner Andrew Szczyglak said he pronounced Nitolo dead about an hour and 15 minutes after the first fire call came in.
Flames gutted the upper floors of the Nitolo home as well as an attached home at 220 W. Columbus St. A garage adjacent to the 220 W. Columbus St. home sustained heavy fire damage, officials said.
State police fire marshal Trooper John F. Burns of the Frackville station investigated both fires but has yet to release a cause on either.
In addition to the loss of life, flames tore through at least four county businesses during the year.
On May 31, a firefighter was injured when he fell partially through a floor while battling a fire to the rear of Schuylkill Gun Works in downtown Schuylkill Haven.
The firefighter was inside a building off Wilson Street Alley, to the rear of the gun shop at 22 W. Main St., when the floor gave way. He was quickly rescued by other volunteers and taken to an ambulance for treatment of nonlife-threatening injuries.
Flames destroyed the garage attached to the gun shop along with a garage next to that, which housed a privately owned woodworking shop, and two other garages.
The Schuylkill Gun Works storefront sustained damage including smoke and broken windows and the Downtown Tavern at 24 W. Main St., owned by Michael Bubeck, sustained smoke damage.
A building that houses two apartments at 26 W. Main St. escaped with minimal damage while two other apartment buildings, the former Cully's Sub Shop at 20 W. Main St. and a corner building at 18 W. Main St., sustained minimal damage as well.
Less than a month later, on June 24, a late-night fire severely damaged Madeline's Restaurant at 1100 E. Market St., Orwigsburg.
Firefighters had the blaze under control in a just over an hour but not before it caused extensive damage to parts of the building.
Fire also destroyed a Frackville eatery Sept. 9. Firefighters were called to J Co. Bagel shop at 10 W. Oak St. and found heavy smoke coming from the building.
The blaze was under control in about 30 minutes but not before the building sustained smoke and some fire damage.
On Nov. 28, fire destroyed a landmark business in Girardville that was scheduled to re-open within weeks.
Flames tore through the former Jiffy Mart store at 146 N. Second St., bringing firefighters from the borough and surrounding communities to the scene.
Girardville fire Chief Frank Zangari Jr. said that after examining the scene with state police fire marshal as well as private insurance investigators, it was determined the fire was electrical and deemed accidental.
The blaze started with wiring inside the building, which was still the original wiring, Zangari said, noting some of the electrical system had been updated.
Firefighters worked for hours to completely extinguish the fire and at one point, a part of the roof above the convenience store collapsed.
On July 30, a massive fire destroyed seven vacant homes on North Main Street in Mahanoy City, reducing all but one house at the end of the block to rubble.
Firefighters were called to the first block of North Main Street at 2:38 a.m. and found heavy fire throughout the home at 21 N. Main St., with fire extending into the remaining six homes at 23, 25, 27, 29, 31 and 33 N. Main St.
Since all of the homes were unoccupied, firefighters began defensive operations and called for multiple alarms, bringing in firefighters from as far away as Schuylkill Haven and Hazle Township in neighboring Luzerne County.
Borough fire officials said all of the affected homes were abandoned after the Flood of 2006 and most were not safe for firefighters to enter.
No firefighters were hurt battling the blaze that quickly went to three alarms, officials said.