Lancaster City, PA Firefighters Battled a Three-Alarm Blaze That Destroyed a Vacant Factory

Lancaster City, PA firefighters battled a three-alarm blaze that destroyed a vacant factory building near the 200 block of Hazel Street in Lancaster City, Sunday September 3, 2006.

Firefighters were dispatched at 8:04 p.m. to a commercial building fire in the area of Prince and Hazel Streets. Numerous callers were reporting heavy smoke and flames coming from a factory building in the 200 block of Hazel Street. "When we got there, the building was well involved, all three floors had a lot of thick smoke," said Chief Brian Klugh. Two additional alarms were immediately requested to bring additional manpower to the scene from off duty shifts. A large crowd of curious onlookers gathered along Hazel Street to view the burning building that quickly became a large ball of fire. Witness said the fire, which was blazing around 8 p.m., could be seen for miles.

Residents nearby said they had never seen anything like it. "When I took a look out the window from the top, I just saw a big fiery building," said Edgar Pantojas, a resident who lives near the building. Firefighters used two ladder trucks with elevated masterstreams to fight the blaze which was declared under control at 9:34 p.m. Firefighters remained at the scene throughout the night and continued into the next afternoon checking for remaining hot spots. A trackhoe was brought in to demolish the burned out shell of the building that was unsafe. The burning building measured about 70-by-70-feet. It was once a factory, but had been vacant for some time. It was last used by a trucking firm to store parts, fire officials said.

The fire's cause remains under investigation. Lancaster City fire officials and fire marshals met the next morning to try and determine how it started. A damage estimate was unavailable. The structural loss is unknown, there was nothing in the building to be saved, firefighters noted. Eden and Hempfield ladder trucks transferred to Lancaster City fire stations during the fire. An engine from Lancaster Township Fire Department also stood by in their station to assist in covering the city.