ORIENT, OH — A Pickaway County pastor who gave his life while attempting to rescue his children from a house fire last year has been posthumously awarded one of North America’s highest civilian honors for heroism.

The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission has awarded the Carnegie Medal to the late Pastor Mark Robinette of Orient for his selfless actions on January 23, 2024, when he entered his burning home multiple times in an effort to save his children.

According to the Commission’s citation, the fire broke out just after midnight while Robinette, 55, his wife Andrea, and their children were trapped on the second floor. As flames and smoke filled the home, Robinette helped his wife escape through a window, then lifted his 14-year-old son through another window onto the roof below. When

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