Smoke detectors saved nine family members from an early morning fire Wednesday on Briarwood Court in Hampden Township.
Two parents, their four children, grandparents and a great-grandmother escaped from the two-story home after the fire broke out at around 12:20 a.m., said fire Chief John Rausch of the Hampden Township Volunteer Fire Co.
The great-grandmother suffered a minor head injury when she tripped over a hose, Rausch said. She was taken by ambulance to a local hospital.
A dog and about 10 guinea pigs also escaped the fire.
The first units arrived on the scene about 12:33 a.m. to find heavy flames rolling out of two front windows on the second floor, Rausch said.
"The people were self-evacuated," he noted.
Family helped
It is believed the fire started in a bedroom before spreading to the attic, causing heavy damage to the second floor and to roof rafters and tress work, Rausch said.
"We went with an aggressive interior attack. We sent two teams in to get the fire out," he explained.
About 30 firefighters from Hampden, West Enola, Camp Hill, Naval Support Activity and the New Cumberland Army Depot responded, Rausch said. Units from Monroe Township, Marysville, Paxtang and Progress in Harrisburg were transferred to local fire stations and placed on standby.
By 12:55 a.m., Rausch marked the fire as under control and units stayed at the scene until about 4 a.m.
The cause of the fire was unknown, Rausch said Wednesday afternoon. The state police fire marshal is investigating.
Rausch had no damage estimate on the house. Aside from the fire damage, there was water damage on the first floor. No firefighters were hurt.
The Red Cross is assisting the family with food, shelter and clothing and will follow up to determine any additional disaster needs.
Neighbors are also helping the displaced family, Rausch said.
"It was a community that came together," he commented.
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Posted at 10:39 a.m. Wednesday on Cumberlink:
The American Red Cross is assisting five adults and four children displaced by a fire early this morning in the first block of Briarwood Court in Hampden Township.
Hampden Township Volunteer Fire Co. said a man awoke to a fire alarm, saw that a bedroom was on fire and managed to get all nine people out of the building safely.
Hampden Township Safety Officer Tom Koestner said it was 12:22 a.m. today when he heard the call before heading to the residential fire in the first block of Briarwood Court.
"The whole top floor burned up," Koestner said. "Nine people were living there and they all got out OK."
State police fire marshals are investigating the cause of the fire.
The Red Cross assisted the families with food, shelter and clothing and will follow-up to determine any additional disaster needs.
Copyright 2012 - The Sentinel, Carlisle, Pa.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
