Nov. 25--A wind-whipped fire in Centre Township heavily damaged a farmhouse Saturday afternoon.
Firefighters from 11 companies battled the blaze at 3155 Tilden Road on the cold and windy day.
No one was injured.
The fire was caused by a interior stovepipe that had a rusted hole, said Dennis Kunkle, chief of Central Berks Fire Company in Centerport.
The fire destroyed the farmhouse's roof and attic and caused about $60,000 in damage, including water damage, he said.
"It was a tough fire with the wind," Kunkle said.
According to Kunkle:
Firefighters were called to the property shortly after noon.
When the first responders arrived, they found fire and smoke shooting out of a corner of the attic. The residents of the house were carrying things outside.
Jane L. Kershner and her son, Adam, lived in the house. Her husband, George C. Kershner Jr., had passed away on Nov. 12. They were planning to stay with relatives.
The winds kept the fire burning with a steady air supply. The fire also spread down through the interior.
Firefighters needed about two hours to control the flames, mainly because of the difficulty maneuvering around the house.
The area doesn't have fire hydrants, so tankers shuttled water from a farm pond about 2 miles away.
It was the same pond firefighters drew on last week to fight a fire that destroyed a barn 3 miles away and killed a herd of cows.
Assisting Central Berks firefighters were volunteers from Bernville, Shoemakersville, Shartlesville, Hamburg and Greenfields fire companies. Tankers from the Mount Pleasant, Strausstown, Rehrersburg, Bethel and Port Clinton fire companies also responded.
Contact Erin Negley: 610-371-5047 or [email protected].
Copyright 2012 - Reading Eagle, Pa.
