No injuries reported in destructive house fire
UNION TWP. >> A fire destroyed a township home, displacing a family of four Friday morning.
Fire crews were dispatched about 10:40 a.m. to the home at 335 Woodglen Road. The fire was fully involved and had spread to the roof by the time crews arrived, officials said.
No one was home at the time, and no firefighters were hurt, BirdsboroUnion Fire Company Deputy Chief Matt Hernandez said.
A state police fire marshal is trying to determine the cause of the fire, and a damage estimate was unavailable.
When firefighters reached the home, Hernandez said, the damage was already so extensive that their only option was to contain the flames.
Only portions of some walls were left standing by the time the fire was out. The walls were then torn down by firefighters.
A neighbor who spotted smoke had called 911.
Hernandez pointed out that the fire station in Birdsboro is about a 10-minute drive to the home, so the fire continued to spread while crews were on their way.
The first crew on the scene requested a second alarm, and about a dozen fire companies responded, including a number of tanker trucks because there are no hydrants near the home.
The tankers pumped water into several portable ponds set up at the scene, and the water was then drawn into an engine to supply hoses extended to the home.
A gas tank connected to the home exploded but did not cause any further problems, and a brush fire that started in the surrounding woods was quickly put out, Hernandez said.
Fire officials called the American Red Cross to provide assistance to four adult residents and a dog.
The home was the longtime residence of William and Susan Small, their son Joseph and his fiancée Kelli McCardle, according to another family member at the scene who asked not to be identified. William Small had the dog with him at the time.