Pennsylvania Fire Investigators Frustrated Over Delay to Enter Destroyed Apartments
An investigation into the fire that destroyed the historic Bellefonte Academy stalled Thursday as officials waited for the OK to demolish what was left of the building.
Bellefonte Fire Chief Tim Knisely said insurance adjusters for the people who owned the building were supposed to arrive Thursday to approve the demolition. But no one showed up, and the building remained too dangerous for firefighters and investigators to enter.
"We can't get into the building because collapses are still happening," Knisely said.
On Thursday morning, a handful of firefighters continued to pour water on the still smoldering south portion of the building from a fire truck parked in the driveway. Nearby, Fire Marshal Terry Miller and a K-9 officer, both with the state police, took photos of the outside of the building and chatted near their police cruisers.
"The state police were pretty frustrated," Knisely said Thursday evening. "They spent the whole day out there waiting."
The fire broke out just after 11 a.m. Wednesday in the north side of the building. Firefighters rescued three people who were inside the building, then were forced to evacuate because of the danger of collapse.
"We had a couple of tense moments when some firefighters got separated from the group and had to find different ways out of the building," Knisely said.
Officials said all the residents of the building have been accounted for, and they do not believe anyone died in the blaze. A dog specially trained to search for dead bodies was brought in Thursday to make sure but was also stalled in its work until demolition could be completed.
The blaze left at least 21 families homeless, said Bob Barry, emergency services director for the Centre Communities Chapter of the American Red Cross. Special events in the area, including Blue Chip Basketball Camp at Penn State, made motel rooms hard to come by, Barry said.
Those without places to go spent Wednesday night in the Bellefonte Elementary School gymnasium.
At the elementary school Thursday, those affected by the fire met with different agencies to obtain help in replacing important documents and finding clothes, food, shelter and other necessities.
"They really don't know what they need. It hasn't really set in yet," Barry said of the people who lost their homes, pets and belongings in the blaze. The Red Cross is asking for monetary donations to help offset the "monumental cost" expected to result from the disaster, Barry said.
By Thursday evening, the temporary shelter had closed and everyone had found places to stay.
Barry said that at least two families had already found new apartments and that most of the rest were in the process of finding a permanent place to live. Several agencies will help those families with the first month's rent and security deposits and provide furniture, bedding and other items, Barry said.
For most of Thursday, workers at FaithCentre in Bellefonte hauled in donations of clothing, toiletries, housewares, baby items and food from all over the county.
The thrift store and outreach center had become the epicenter of relief efforts starting Wednesday afternoon, when people in and around the community learned of the devastating fire.
"It's overwhelming," said FaithCentre's community relations director David Dimmick. "I'm speechless."
As the smell of smoke hung over the town, the driveway below the charred apartment building was bustling with people wanting to see the damage themselves.
"I used to live there four years ago," said Danny Fox, standing behind the yellow police tape at the scene.
"I'm glad everyone got out OK. It went up quick."
Lori Keith brought her two children to the fire site Thursday morning to take a few photos of the blackened remains. "I'm surprised it didn't all go up, it's so old," she said. "I was coming from State College yesterday, and the heat (from the fire) just fogged my windows up immediately."
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