Recent Incidents Engine 3 and Rescue Assist Lanc. City FD February 19th, 2007, 4:26 AM

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Early morning blaze heavily damages neighboring house, displaces 2 families

A four-alarm fire displaced two families Sunday morning from two Lancaster city homes in the 400 block of High Street, investigators said.

The blaze started in a second-floor bedroom at 451 High St. about 3:20 a.m. and spread to 449 High St., fire officials said, causing more than $100,000 in damage to the homes.

The two-story home at 451 High St. was "totally destroyed," Lancaster city Fire Chief Tim Gregg said. The neighboring home sustained about $20,000 in damage to its exterior and attic.

Andrew Snyder, who lived at 451 High St., woke and discovered the fire, officials said, then awakened three unidentified family members sleeping upstairs.

Snyder sustained minor burns while evacuating the home and received medical treatment at the scene. It was unclear Sunday if he had been hospitalized.

An unidentified family of three fled the home next door. None of them was injured, officials said.

Gregg said the home at 451 High St. had only one smoke detector, which was on the first floor.

"They were fortunate that somebody upstairs woke up," he said. "There were no detectors on the second floor. If they had been up to code, (firefighters) would have got out there a little quicker."

The cause of the fire is being investigated.

The home at 451 High St. was valued at $90,000, according to Battalion Chief Robert Pennypacker. Roger Weaver owns the home, Lancaster County property records indicate.

When fire crews arrived on the scene about 3:25 a.m., the house at 451 High St. was fully involved, and flames were coming out the roof, Gregg said.

Firefighters were hindered by the cold weather, the effects of a recent snowstorm and another fire call, Gregg said.

Snow had compacted around fire hydrants, making access difficult, and a hydrant on High Street was frozen. The water main under High Street is "very small" and provided little water, Gregg said.

Firefighters hooked up their hoses to hydrants on Filbert and Lafayette streets about a block away.

In addition, some firefighters on the scene had to respond to a fire call at 117 Green St. at 3:42 a.m. An investigation quickly determined there was no fire at that home.

"It was a challenge," Gregg said.

The crews tried to get warm inside a Red Rose Transit Authority bus that was idling on the scene. The Salvation Army provided food and coffee.

When fire spread to the top of 449 High St., firefighters cut a hole in the roof to slow the spread of flames. That approach was successful, Gregg said, and fire was contained to the attic.

The home at 451 High St. was a blackened shell by Sunday afternoon as firefighters continued to check the rubble for hot spots.

Two city marshals are investigating, and the cause of the fire is expected to be determined within a couple of days.

American Red Cross of the Susquehanna Valley provided lodging, food, clothing and toiletries for the displaced families.

E-mail Brett Hambright at bhambright@lnpnews.com.

City firefighters were hindered by the cold weather, the effects of the recent snowstorm and a second fire call.