Fire burns townhouses in Zelienople
Multiple families were evacuated from their homes in the early hours of Thursday, Jan. 19, as crews battled a blaze in Zelienople.
According to Scott Garing, chief of Harmony Fire District, crews were dispatched around 11:50 p.m. Wednesday for a structure fire at a cluster of townhouses at 102 Timberbrook Court, Zelienople.
“The residents heard loud explosions. An SUV was on fire at that point, the tires were blowing,” he said.
The SUV was a Lincoln Navigator, which caught fire and spread flames to the house, crews reported.
Six families were safely evacuated as firefighters worked to squelch the flames. Fire spread up the front of the house to three floors and into the attic space.
Garing said the fire took about 20 to 25 minutes to put out.
“We used our deck gun, which used a lot of water really fast. We give it more water than it can flame,” he said.
The building is not a total loss, according to Garing, as most of the damage was contained to the front of the houses.
“There’s a lot of damage, but it will be rebuilt,” he said.
Three families were displaced due to the fire. Garing said the Red Cross is helping all three to find places to stay.
Fire department assisting at the scene included Adams Area Fire District, Callery Volunteer Fire Company, Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company, Portersville Muddy Creek Township Volunteer Fire Department, Prospect/Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Department and Evans City Volunteer Fire Department, Ellwood City Fire Department, Cochran Hose Company and Rochester Township Fire Department.
