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2nd fire destroys home

Flames engulf the Hiles' family home on Stone Church Road in Lancaster Township early this morning.
House vacant; cause sought

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 was 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.

Matson called 911 and moved in for a closer look.

“It was smoking pretty good,” he said. “A little later, I seen a wall collapse.”

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

“Three quarters of the house was already on the ground,” Nanna said.

Because 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 was 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 that caused about $10,000 in damage.“They stoked the stove up earlier (Tuesday) evening,” Nanna said, ”but they're not sure what time.”There was still no electrical service at the home this morning.Authorities said they eventually contacted Timothy Hiles and told him of today's fire. The family was en route to the house after 7:30 a.m.Lancaster Township police were called to help in the investigation.Assisting the Harmony fire company were firefighters from Portersville, Prospect, Zelienople, Callery and Adams Area.

A chimney was all that remained standing after fire destroyed the Hiles' family home on Stone Church Road in Lancaster Township early this morning. No one was home at the time. The cause of the blaze is under investigation. The home was undergoing repairs after being hit by fire Jan. 19. Firefighters from six companies responded and had to shuttle water because there are no hydrants in the area.

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