Firefighters from the Allegheny Township Volunteer Fire Department battle a blaze at a Duncansville home on Wednesday. The home, owned by Thomas Ott, was built of railroad ties and stood burning for hours as firefighters struggled to extinguish the blaze. Mirror photo by Russ O'Reilly

DUNCANSVILLE — A house built from railroad ties that was in a family for a couple of generations caught fire and stood burning for hours as firefighters struggled to extinguish the blaze.

Thomas Ott’s father built the house, and Ott lived there all his life at 350 White Oak Lane.

“This is a surprise event that is taking everything I had and making it history,” Ott said as he watched his house burn.

“Everything I owned was inside: 63 years of life from birth until now,” he said.

The fire started some time after Ott fueled his wood furnace in his basement about 9 a.m. Wednesday. He said he believes a cardboard box near the furnace caught fire first. The fire quickly spread, and Ott called 911.

Allegheny Township Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched at 10:15 a.m. An hour and a half later, the black smoke and fire still would not relent. The railroad ties proved strong, though flammable.

“The thickness, the age, the creosote — it is a difficult fire,” Assistant Fire Chief William Bean said.

Creosote is a chemical preservative that was used to preserve railroad ties, but Ott was not completely sure whether it coated the lumber his house was made with.

Ott said he did not have home insurance. The house was a loss, and Bean waited Wednesday for a fire marshal to help decide whether it should be razed to fully extinguish the fire.

Ott said he was a former employee of the Altoona Mirror. Ott’s neighbor and friend, Kody Montgomery, arrived at the fire Wednesday and offered Ott the opportunity to stay with his family as long as he needs.

“He’s helped me out a lot; this is the least I could do for him,” Montgomery said. “If I ever needed anything, I went to him, and he’s helped me out as best as he can.”

American Red Cross volunteers were on the scene to also offer support.

“In cases like this, we can give some initial financial assistance to last them a few days and refer them to partner agencies. We keep in touch for a month. It takes a while for victims to make plans,” American Red Cross volunteer Karen Natoli said.

Mirror Staff Writer Russ O’Reilly is at 946-7435.