LANCASTER TWP — Just nine days after fire temporarily uprooted a family from their home, a second blaze this morning burned the house to the ground.

“It was repairable before, now it's not,” said Chief Neal Nanna of the Harmony Volunteer Fire Company.

About all that remained standing at the Hiles' family single-story, double-wide modular home at 285 Stone Church Road is the stone chimney for a wood-burning stove.

The state police fire marshal is investigating what caused the blaze that broke out about 4 a.m.

“It's undetermined at this time,” Nanna said.

Scott Matson of Butler was delivering newspapers in his vehicle when he spotted the fire.

“I was coming down the road and saw smoke and flames and orange in the sky,” he said.

He called 911.

By the time the first fire crews got there, it was way too late to save the home.

Since there are no fire hydrants in the area, tankers had to be shuttled for water. A detached garage and a pickup truck parked nearby were spared from the fire.

Nanna estimated damage at $50,000. The home is insured, he said.

Timothy Hiles, his wife, Mary, and their three children had not been living at the house since Jan. 19 when an electrical fire forced them to flee.

But they were using the wood burner for heat while at the house to do periodic repair work from the earlier fire.

Lancaster Township police were called to help in the investigation.

Assisting the Harmony VFC were firefighters from Portersville, Prospect, Zelienople, Callery and Adams Area.