For Second Time, Family Loses its Home to Fire

By Brett Lovelace
Oct 11, 2003, 12:32 EST
Intelligencer Journal

Patricia DiDomenico saw smoke billowing from her East Hempfield Township home Friday and prayed it wasn't as bad as the fire 27 years ago, when she lost everything.

As the 55-year-old turned onto Barrholly Drive, it was apparent she would have to endure another disaster.

Firefighters spent about 40 minutes extinguishing the 1:53 p.m. fire, which a state police fire marshal determined was started by an unattended candle.

The fire caused about $225,000 in damage, said Chief Scott Porman, Rohrerstown Fire Company.

"It's Fire Prevention Week, and we've been stressing to everyone that you should never leave a candle burning unattended," Porman said. "This house is a total loss. It could've been avoided if a little prevention was used."

DiDomenico's son-in-law, Joseph M. Lovell Jr., and his 3-year-old son, Trey, were home when the fire started. Lovell is married to the DiDomenicos' daughter, Christa Marie, and all five share the house.Lovell and the boy fled with the family dog, Brandy, and cat, Fluffy. A second cat, Shadow, was still missing Friday.

"When our apartment burned up in 1976, all I had on was my nightgown," Patricia DiDomenico said. "At least I'm fully-clothed today."

DiDomenico and her husband, Nate, 74, salvaged two couches, a table, a lamp and glassware from the two-story brick house Friday.

The couple had just decorated for Halloween. Three plastic jack-o'-lanterns were scattered across the front yard among the
charred housewares.

When the first crew of Rohrerstown firefighters arrived, the roof at 761 Barrholly Drive was covered in flames. The fire started in a first-floor room and apparently burned undetected before reaching the roof as Lovell and his son escaped unharmed, Porman said.

Christa DiDomenico, a 1997 Hempfield High School graduate, called her parents to tell them their house was on fire.

"My daughter calls and says the place is burning down," Nate DiDomenico said. "We've been through this before, but it's gonna take a while to get over this."

Patricia DiDomenico returned from her job at Millersville University and met her husband in the street. She remembered the 1976 fire and a grease fire that damaged their kitchen last year.

"Three fires," she said. "I try to look at positives, and the most important thing to me is that everyone is safe."

The DiDomenicos and Lovells said they planned to stay at a Millersville home until they can find somewhere permanent to live.