Fire guts home, vehicles; several residents displaced

Firefighters from numerous companies were drawn to a threealarm fire early Dec. 2 that gutted a home near Shoemakersville, displacing several residents.

Dispatchers received several calls from neighbors shortly after

2 a.m. Dec. 2 reporting the home at 40 Perry Road in Perry Township was on fire, said Chief Dennis Wagner of Shoemakersville Fire Company. The neighborhood is just north of Shoemakersville on the west side of Route 61.

The callers heard popping sounds, which were likely from exploding tires of vehicles adjacent to the home, and said the

roof was on fire, Wagner said.

The neighbors were unsure if anyone was in the home, which made for an uneasy feeling as firefighters headed to the scene, the chief said.

When the first firefighters arrived, the three occupants — a father, his son and his daughter — were out front, shoeless but uninjured. They had been sleeping

when the fire was discovered.

Wagner had no information about how they were alerted to the fire.

The residents were given refuge from the bitter wind in a deputy chief’s truck while firefighters attacked the flames, which, fueled by wind gusts, consumed a total of four vehicles on the property.

Wagner quickly struck a second alarm to personnel from additional crews. He needed a third alarm because the volunteers were getting overextended.

“We had a little bit of an issue in the beginning with manpower,” he said. “We were short on manpower.”

The flames were under control within an hour but crews remained on the scene until about 5 a.m.

The investigation revealed that the fire originated in the area of the front porch, where an extension cord was plugged into an outlet, said Trooper Janssen Herb, a state police fire marshal.

The fire destroyed most of the roof and the vehicles, causing a total of $300,000 damage, Herb said. He added that it’s likely the home is damaged beyond repair.

A restoration contractor was boarding up the house later Wednesday.

The displaced residents and their pets were being assisted by relatives, according to Herb.

Herb identif ied the homeow ner as Chad Schlenker.

Wagner quickly struck a second alarm to personnel from additional crews. He needed a third alarm because the volunteers were getting overextended.

STEVEN HENSHAW — MEDIANEWS GROUP A family was homeless Dec. 2 after flames gutted their house along Perry Road in Perry Township. The fire also destroyed vehicles next to the house. The resident and his two children escaped the fire without injury, officials said.