May 31--FORTY FORT -- Danielle Griffith-Sims sat across the street as firefighters doused the flames at her Bidlack Street home Thursday afternoon wondering what she will see when allowed back inside.
"I'm still trying to comprehend all of this," she said, fighting back tears with her children and other family and friends at her side. "I want to look at the back of the house, but I'm scared to."
Forty Fort Fire Chief Frank Guido said a preliminary investigation indicated the fire started in the kitchen area at the rear of the two-story, yellow-sided home at 65 Bidlack St. and rose to the second floor. State police fire marshals were on the scene to determine the cause of the blaze, but officials said they would not make a ruling until today.
"The damage is extensive," Guido said.
Several windows were smashed and a ladder rested against a second-floor window frame. Hoses were strewn throughout the property to battle the fire that broke out around 2 p.m. and was tapped out at 2:36 p.m., Guido said.
Firefighters were seen downing bottles of water and Gatorade to help replenish fluids lost while fighting the fire. Edwardsville Assistant Fire Chief Frank Slymock said each firefighter can go for 20 minutes in hot weather before needing liquids .
Griffith-Sims and her husband, Michael, own the property and they were busy contacting their insurance company to report the fire. Officials were assisting in finding shelter for the evening for the family, consisting of the parents, three daughters and a son ranging in age from 6 to 16, and three cats and two dogs.
Firefighters carried two cats out of the house and administered oxygen to both before handing them over to Griffith-Sims.
"My daughter called me screaming and I couldn't understand what she was saying," said Griffith-Sims. "All I heard was the back of the house was in flames."
Firefighters and equipment from Forty Fort, Kingston, Swoyersville and Edwardsville were on the scene.
Fire officials were asking Griffith-Sims questions at the scene to try to determine what might have contributed to the fire.
She told them smoking is not allowed inside the house and she left nothing on the stove when she left for a doctor's appointment.
Copyright 2013 - The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
