Local News

Fire claims Greenfield Township home

A fire destroyed a home on the 400 block of Butler Hollow Road in Greenfield Township on a cold early Wednesday morning.

Multiple local fire departments and emergency crew members responded.

Deputy chief Carl Raneri of Claysburg Volunteer Fire Department said the fire was called in sometime before 7 a.m., and when their crews arrived on scene, the two-story home was completely engulfed in flames and smoke.

"A second alarm was called right away to bring in additional resources," he said.

There were about 12 fire departments that assisted Claysburg from Blair, Bedford and Cambria counties.

Raneri said with the home being in such a rural area, there were no fire hydrants, causing firefighters to bring in tanker trucks to transport water to the scene.

According to the Freedom Township Volunteer Fire Department's Facebook page, a dump tank was set up for tanker shuttle operations.

"With it being so cold, the water on the roadways made conditions a little icy," Raneri said.

The cold temperature at the time of the fire did not help the firefighters either.

"It was about 20 degrees. When it's that cold, the water begins to freeze," he said.

Firefighters took a defensive approach to fighting the fire and were able to get everything under control in about an hour and 45 minutes, just before 9 a.m., and remained on scene until 11:30 a.m.

A cousin on the scene later Wednesday, said Mark and Tracy Walters lived in the home with their two daughters and two dogs.

He said everyone got out safely.

The cousin said the landlines were down when the fire first broke out, and the poor cellphone service prevented family members from contacting 911 right away.

"Around here if you don't have Wi-Fi in your home, you can't get cell service," he said.

The cousin said the structure was in the family for a long time and was his grandfather's house built around the later 1930s or early 1940s.

Mark Walters told him they do plan to rebuild but it won't be the same because they lost a lot that cannot be replaced.

"They lost everything -- family heirlooms, photos and memories," he said.

Raneri said Red Cross help was offered, but the homeowners declined because they have somewhere else to go.

The cousin said they are able to stay in another home they own.

According to Freedom Township's post, First Commonwealth Bank in Claysburg has set up a donation account for those who would like to help the family.

The post also thanked the Lakemont Fire Department for providing a standby crew, during which it responded to a fire alarm at Leamersville Grace Brethren Church.

The post also said Sheetz Distribution Center brought coffee and hot chocolate to the scene for the first responders.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation according to Raneri.