LANCASTER TOWNSHIP, PA - Fire caused more than $100,000 in damages to a Lancaster Township home Sunday December 4th, leaving a family of five temporarily homeless.
Lancaster Township Fire Department responded to the 10:58 am blaze after a neighbor spotted the flames at 148 Bentley Lane and alerted one of the residents to get out.
The next-door neighbor, Jim Heidig, spotted the fire and entered the house to warn the occupants. George Atticks, the father-in-law of the owner was watching TV at the time of the fire and was unaware the house was on fire.
Lancaster Township Fire Chief Glenn Usdin arrived and encountered a large volume of fire engulfing the garage of a large single family dwelling. The fire was traveling up to the second floor and attic through the rafters along the outer wall. Usdin transmitted a second alarm bringing Millersville, Rohrerstown and West Lancaster fire companies.
Lancaster Township Engine 6-6-2 was the first engine to arrive and immediately went into service with a deck monitor focused on the main bulk of fire which knocked down a large volume of the visible fire.
As the second alarm apparatus started to arrive, Rohrerstown Truck 6-7 crew forced the garage door and supplied ground ladders and chainsaws to Millersville firefighters on division 3 who cut a ventilation hole in the roof to allow smoke and heat escape the burning structure.
West Lancaster and Millersville firefighters stretched three handlines to extinguish the remaining fire. The first line was extended into the main part of the dwelling and cut off the fire, the two remaining lines operated into the second floor recreation room above the fire and the attic.
Lancaster Township Rescue 6-6 was assigned the R.I.T. function.
A third alarm was requested to increase manpower capability when staging crews were limited.
By the time firefighters extinguished the blaze 20 to 30 minutes later, it had caused about "$75,000 in structural damage and up to $30,000 in content losses," said Lancaster Township Fire Chief Glenn Usdin.
A fire wall between the garage and house prevented the fire from spreading to the main part of the house.
PA State Police Fire Marshall Trooper Anthony Thomas was unable to determine the exact cause of origin and has labeled the fire "undetermined but not suspicious".
Fire companies responding in addition to Lancaster Township firefighters were New Danville, Rohrerstown, West Lancaster, Willow Street and Millersville, Conestoga and Lancaster EMS.
Southern Manheim Township Fire Company stood by in Lancaster Township F.D. North Station.
Units remained on the scene until 2:30 pm.
