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Rosewood Dr. House Fire leaves Family Homeless
January 25th, 2008, 1:02 AM
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SLIDE SHOW PHOTOS
FRIDAY JANUARY 25, 2008
Lancaster Township Fire Department
responded to a house fire at 19 Rosewood Drive in the Windolph Landing
development, Friday January 25 at 1:02 P.M.
A neighbor heard an
explosion, which turned out to be a propane tank behind the house, and
called 911 after seeing smoke and flames.
The plume of smoke
was visible for miles. The smoke could be seen from the Lancaster
Township South Fire Station as their engines left the building.
While
enroute to the station, Lancaster Township Fire Chief Ron Comfort Jr.
was advised by Lancaster County Wide Communications they were receiving
multiple calls of a house fire with flames visible.
Chief Comfort requested an additional engine and truck company be dispatched to get extra equipment on the street.
Fire
Police Lieutenant Ed Slaymaker arrived and advised Chief Comfort he was
on the scene with a well involved house. Chief Comfort immediately
requested a second alarm.
Lancaster Township Engine 66-1 was
first to arrive and found a 2 story bi-level home that had heavy fire
in the attic area and charlie side of the building.
Lancaster
City Police officers and neighbors advised the arriving firefighters
there was a possibility of occupants being trapped in the house.
Lieutenant
Paul Castline and Firefighter Tom Royer advanced a 2 1/2” handline to
the front door of the house. They were followed by a second backup line.
The firefighters forced the door and were met by moderate fire, heat and smoke.
They
made their way to the second floor and extinguished the visible fire in
the kitchen, living room, and dining room as they searched for
occupants.
They attempted to make it back the hallway towards the bedrooms, but were met with heavy fire conditions.
As the fire conditions deteriorated and the occupants confirmed out of the house, the building was ordered to be evacuated.
With the fire intensifying, a partial collapse occurred of the roof to the rear of the house over the dining room.
The
fire had already burned through and consumed the master bedroom roof
and trusses. The fire proceeded down the front side of the roof over
the remaining bedrooms.
As the interior crews searched and
attempted to extinguish the visible fire, exterior crews advanced a 3” line with a Blitz Fire portable monitor and a 1 3/4” to the rear
of the house.
Lancaster Township Truck 6-6 set up for master stream operations as the additional handlines were being stretched.
After
it was confirmed all personnel had exited the building and were
accounted for, Truck 6-6 attacked the flames from above as firefighters
knocked down the flames from ground level.
The fire was quickly extinguished after a few minutes.
The blaze was declared under control at 2: 26 P.M.
The home is owned by Felix and Norma Garcia, who were both at work when the fire started.
Since
no one was home when the fire ignited, the fire had a head start and
could have smoldered for hours before being noticed by neighbors.
Fire
consumed the second floor of the bi-level home before it self vented
from the master bedroom at the B-C corner of the house.
The
living room, dining room, kitchen, sunroom and bathroom were all
destroyed by the fire. Two smaller bedrooms were spared from the blaze
due to having their doors closed.
Pieces of charred roof trusses and roofing material littered these rooms after the roof structure failed and collapsed.
Damage to the home was estimated at $280,000 -- $180,000 for structural damage and $100,000 for contents lost.
State police Fire Marshal Tony Thomas ruled the cause of the fire electrical and accidental.
The Garcia family received assistance from the American Red Cross.
Firefighters remained on the scene until 4:31 P.M.
Assisting
Lancaster Township firefighters were New Danville, Lancaster City,
Millersville, Willow Street and Rohrerstown fire companies.
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