Pa. County Fires Leave 16 Homeless

Nov. 03--Two fires damaged four Schuylkill County homes on Sunday leaving 16 people homeless.

Three homes on West Lloyd Street in Shenandoah were damaged just after 7 a.m. and a home on Long Lane in Ryan Township was leveled in a 2 p.m. blaze.

Shenandoah firefighters were called for a report of a kitchen fire at 210 W. Lloyd St. and found heavy fire and smoke when they arrived.

Fire spread to an adjoining home at 212 W. Lloyd St., prompting officials, under the direction of Fire Marshal Cory Rainis, to call for a second alarm bringing firefighters from surrounding communities to assist.

Despite heavy wind and temperatures in the 30s, firefighters managed to contain the fire to the two homes but a third home at 208 W. Lloyd St. sustained smoke damage.

Fire Marshal Rick Examitas said state police Fire Marshal Trooper John F. Burns of the Frackville station determined the fire was accidental, caused by a cooking incident in the kitchen at the 210 W. Lloyd St. home.

Examitas said the homes at 210 and 212 W. Lloyd St. sustained severe fire, smoke and water damage while 208 W. Lloyd St. had minor damage.

He said four people inside the 208 W. Lloyd St. home are temporarily homeless while 10 are homeless at 210 and 212 W. Lloyd St.

Examitas said the names of the residents were not immediately available.

One of the occupants suffered minor injuries and was taken to an area hospital for evaluation. There were no reported injuries to firefighters, Examitas said.

The American Red Cross, Shenandoah EMS and the Ryan Township Emergency Rescue Squad rehab unit also assisted at the scene.

Hours later, just after 2 p.m., an intense fire leveled a home in a remote area of Ryan Township.

Ryan Township, Delano, Hometown and Mahanoy City firefighters were called to the 50 Long Lane house, an old farm house that was remodeled, and found heavy fire throughout the structure.

"It was fully involved, the flames were as high as the trees," said Ryan Township Emergency Rescue Squad Chief Darrell Harris, who was one of the first on scene of the fire that he said was reported at 2:08 p.m.

Harris said his crews were returning from a brush fire near McAdoo when the call came in and arrived within minutes.

"It was all fire," Harris said. "You could see right through it (the home) there was nothing but a big glow."

However, Harris said no injuries were reported and the people who lived in the home were apparently out shopping.

Fueled by gusty winds, flames destroyed the home that collapsed about a half hour into the fire.

Ryan Township Fire Company Capt. Matt Morgan directed fire ground operations.

Morgan said that although the cause of the fire is being called undetermined, there is no reason to believe it is suspicious.

Morgan said the home is owned and occupied by Susan Long and her 30-year-old daughter, whose name he did not have.

Morgan said the home was completely consumed by flames when firefighters arrived, prompting a defensive attack mode.

Portable dams were erected near the home and water was brought in by tanker trucks from several surrounding communities due to a lack of fire hydrants in the area.

Ryan Township EMS was on standby at the scene. No injuries were reported.

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