Last year, Dwight A. Moore stumbled through dense smoke in his neighbor's home to reach the teenage daughter who was asleep on the top floor -- saving her from a fire that destroyed the structure.

Mr. Moore, 33, of Aliquippa, is one of two Western Pennsylvania residents who were awarded the Carnegie Medal for civilian heroism yesterday.

In Blair County, Hollidaysburg resident David Patrick Rosamilia, 38, pulled Ronald L. Weamer, 61, from a burning vehicle after it crashed into a tree in Claysburg last April.

The Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Heroes Fund Commission gave its second batch of awards this year to 22 people in the U.S. and Canada who risked their lives to save others. Recipients or their survivors each receive $6,000 and a medal and are eligible for one-time grants, scholarship aid, death benefits and other assistance.

When a fire broke out in his neighbor's kitchen on the night of May 23, 2008, Mr. Moore, a welder, entered the home and climbed through thick smoke to the attic, where his neighbor's daughter, Kara M. Freeman, 18, was sleeping.

According to the Carnegie Heroes news release, Mr. Moore alerted Ms. Freeman to the fire and directed her to the stairs. She descended to safety, but Mr. Moore, who followed, had trouble breathing and returned to the attic for air.

He eventually made his way outside, and flames soon spread to the top floors of the structure.

By the time police and fire department officials arrived, "the building was completely filled with thick black smoke," said David Foringer, Aliquippa fire chief.

"We needed air packs, but he was able to save the girl without any protective equipment at all," Mr. Foringer said. "He was truly entering the unknown."

Mr. Moore suffered smoke inhalation but recovered.

Mr. Rosamilia, a part-time officer with the Greenfield Township police, turned onto a street seconds after another car drove off the roadway, struck a tree, and caught fire.

Without hesitation, Mr. Rosamilia climbed into the wreckage to try to remove Mr. Weamer, 61, who was trapped in the car.

"He definitely placed his safety aside trying to rescue the individual," said Duncansville police Chief James Ott. "The car could have exploded, flames could have engulfed him, or he could have taken on enough toxic smoke to become unconscious."

The danger of the situation didn't even cross his mind until afterward, Mr. Rosamilia said. "At the time, my one goal was to get him out of the car."

Mr. Rosamilia eventually pulled Mr. Weamer from the car. The crash victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr. Rosamilia was hospitalized after breathing in a large amount of smoke but recovered.

Andrew Carnegie started the Hero Fund in 1904 after hearing of rescue attempts by ordinary citizens in a coal mine explosion at Harwick, Pa. Awards are given four times each year. To date, more than 9,000 medals have been awarded, about 20 percent of which are given posthumously.