Post by Tony Blackwell on Sept 11, 2005 6:56:30 GMT -5
from one of the local newspapers...
Mahanoy City Fire Leaves 3 Homeless
Homeless were Nancy Hillibush, 68; her son, Thomas Hillibush, 37; and grandson, Michael Collins, 14.
Kalce said the fire started in the kitchen area of the Hillibush home and quickly spread to the back porch and then to the upstairs and living room of the building.
Although homes near the rear of the structure suffered some damage from the intense heat, fire damage was contained to the Hillibush home, the chief said.
Mahanoy City police were first on scene and managed to get one of the Hillibush's out of the home along with Al Marsincavage, 79, who lives next door at 517 W. Market St.
Marsincavage could have stayed in his home Friday night but chose to stay somewhere else until smoke clears from the house, the man said.
Marsincavage said he was lying on a sofa in the living room of his home around 4:30 p.m. when he smelled smoke.
He said he walked into the kitchen to the rear of his house to see if anything was on the stove and that is when he looked out the back window and saw flames coming from his neighbor's home.
"It was all fire, I looked out the kitchen window and all I could see was fire," he said.
Marsincavage was able to call 9-1-1 to report the blaze before making his way to the front of his house and then onto the street.
A two-story garage at 521-523 W. Market St., owned by Louis Truskowsky of Truskowsky Funeral Home, also suffered only smoke damage.
Truskowsky said a thick firewall separates his building to the east and probably kept the flames from spreading to the west.
He said caskets stored in the second floor, some antiques and memorabilia in the attic and a hearse and limousine at street level probably have smoke damage.
Kalce, along with other fire officials and police, investigated the cause of the fire and determined that cooking on the stove sparked the blaze.
He termed the fire accidental.
Kalce said the continued training of his department was evident since the fire was contained to one building, despite the massive amount of flames and smoke that met volunteers when they arrived on scene.
He also said truck company operations played a crucial role since firefighters were able to ventilate the building directly above the fire to allow heat and smoke to escape and let firefighters inside to extinguish the blaze.
Responding to the call, firefighters had an unexpected person directing traffic.
Department administrative assistant Anthony Blackwell Sr. said as firefighters were exiting their station, Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner Edward Mann was stopping traffic.
He was coming into town for the 'Everyone Goes Home Safely' seminar and decided to help with traffic.
The seminar, held at Mahanoy Area High School, was attended by firefighters after they packed their gear and made sure their apparatus was back in service.
Blackwell said the two Hillibush's and Collins are staying at Granny's Motel in Frackville for three days until they can find a place to stay on their own. He said the American Red Cross was responsible for making the arrangements.
All Mahanoy City fire companies and EMS responded along with the Altamont Fire Company Rapid Intervention Team, of West Mahanoy Township, Goodwill Fire Company, Frackville, for its ladder truck, and Frackville and Ryan Township EMS and Shenandoah ALS.
Ryan Township and Hometown firefighters were on standby at Mahanoy City fire stations in case another call occurred.
Mahanoy City Fire Leaves 3 Homeless
Homeless were Nancy Hillibush, 68; her son, Thomas Hillibush, 37; and grandson, Michael Collins, 14.
Kalce said the fire started in the kitchen area of the Hillibush home and quickly spread to the back porch and then to the upstairs and living room of the building.
Although homes near the rear of the structure suffered some damage from the intense heat, fire damage was contained to the Hillibush home, the chief said.
Mahanoy City police were first on scene and managed to get one of the Hillibush's out of the home along with Al Marsincavage, 79, who lives next door at 517 W. Market St.
Marsincavage could have stayed in his home Friday night but chose to stay somewhere else until smoke clears from the house, the man said.
Marsincavage said he was lying on a sofa in the living room of his home around 4:30 p.m. when he smelled smoke.
He said he walked into the kitchen to the rear of his house to see if anything was on the stove and that is when he looked out the back window and saw flames coming from his neighbor's home.
"It was all fire, I looked out the kitchen window and all I could see was fire," he said.
Marsincavage was able to call 9-1-1 to report the blaze before making his way to the front of his house and then onto the street.
A two-story garage at 521-523 W. Market St., owned by Louis Truskowsky of Truskowsky Funeral Home, also suffered only smoke damage.
Truskowsky said a thick firewall separates his building to the east and probably kept the flames from spreading to the west.
He said caskets stored in the second floor, some antiques and memorabilia in the attic and a hearse and limousine at street level probably have smoke damage.
Kalce, along with other fire officials and police, investigated the cause of the fire and determined that cooking on the stove sparked the blaze.
He termed the fire accidental.
Kalce said the continued training of his department was evident since the fire was contained to one building, despite the massive amount of flames and smoke that met volunteers when they arrived on scene.
He also said truck company operations played a crucial role since firefighters were able to ventilate the building directly above the fire to allow heat and smoke to escape and let firefighters inside to extinguish the blaze.
Responding to the call, firefighters had an unexpected person directing traffic.
Department administrative assistant Anthony Blackwell Sr. said as firefighters were exiting their station, Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner Edward Mann was stopping traffic.
He was coming into town for the 'Everyone Goes Home Safely' seminar and decided to help with traffic.
The seminar, held at Mahanoy Area High School, was attended by firefighters after they packed their gear and made sure their apparatus was back in service.
Blackwell said the two Hillibush's and Collins are staying at Granny's Motel in Frackville for three days until they can find a place to stay on their own. He said the American Red Cross was responsible for making the arrangements.
All Mahanoy City fire companies and EMS responded along with the Altamont Fire Company Rapid Intervention Team, of West Mahanoy Township, Goodwill Fire Company, Frackville, for its ladder truck, and Frackville and Ryan Township EMS and Shenandoah ALS.
Ryan Township and Hometown firefighters were on standby at Mahanoy City fire stations in case another call occurred.