A city fire has left seven people homeless.
"They had a fire in the fireplace, but until we get in there and see what it was, we don't want to say it was the cause," said Altoona Fire Department chief Reynold D. Santone Jr. on Thursday after firemen had doused the flames at 1301 and 1303 10th St.
Sue Stevens, owner and one of the residents of the duplex, said she had started a fire in the fireplace of 1301 10th St. when she noticed the wall above it getting hot.
"I heard it crackling," she said, referring to the wall where the chimney rises from the fireplace, adding that before she could do anything the home was burning.
"I went to get a pot of water and came back, and it was already flared up," she said.
Stevens lives in her half of the duplex with several children, but she was the only one home at the time.
Susan Forney and Rick Farber, two of the residents of 1303 10th St., were also home but had no idea the building was burning until someone came to their door.
"Somebody knocked on our door and hollered, 'Get out!'" said Forney, standing wrapped in a blanket and wearing slippers. Forney said they didn't have renters' insurance, but Stevens said the property was insured.
Everyone escaped uninjured, including pets in both homes, Santone said.
Firefighters received the call at 1:13 p.m., Santone said, and when crews arrived the house was filled with heavy smoke. He said the fire is believed to have started in the second story walls of the house. He said most of the damage, which he called extensive, was on the second floor.
City Fire Inspector Mike Tofano was on scene to investigate, and Santone said firefighters were remaining at the site for several hours to ensure the fire didn't flare up again.
The Red Cross, Santone noted, was there to assist the residents and get them set up with temporary accommodations. He said the structure was uninhabitable with the amount of damage it sustained and because utilities had to be shut off due to the fire.
Mirror Staff Writer Greg Bock is at 946-7458.
