Fire destroys four townhomes in Lawrence
No one was injured in a fire that destroyed four townhouses in Lawrence Wednesday afternoon after a garage fire spread along Old Farm Road.
First responders received a call for a report of a garage fire in the 1100 block of Old Farm Road at 3:47 p.m., said Cecil Township fire Chief Noel McMullen. The initial call reported that a woman was trapped in the house.
When first responders arrived, the woman had been evacuated, and the townhome was in flames.
“The first arriving Cecil units found the townhome fully involved, with fire already spreading into a second townhouse. The fire got into the attic and basically just ran the townhouses. That’s how it spreads,” said McMullen.
Eight departments worked to contain the blaze, including Cecil, Lawrence and Muse fire departments, Canonsburg, Chartiers-Houston, Fairview, North Strabane, Peters and Upper St. Clair fire departments. Southbridge EMS also responded.
“It was just like a huge boom,” said Emily Herold, who lives in the neighborhood.
“It went up just fast,” added Tyler Vasko, another resident.
Regis and Katey O’Donnell live down the street from where the fire began, and Katey O’Donnell, who was in the backyard, said she heard the boom.
“Somebody ran up and down the street ringing the doorbells,” said Regis O’Donnell. “I looked out, there were a bunch of people standing together.”
Neighbors consoled one another and watched as firefighters battled the fire, which took several hours. Some neighbors supplied first responders with water and snacks.
“It’s manpower intensive,” said McMullen, noting the temperature outside and the radiant heat indoors made fighting the fire difficult. “That’s why we had to call so many departments, just because it’s labor-intensive and the heat. You gotta give these guys a break.”
Along with the four townhouses that were destroyed, two additional homes sustained smoke damage. Firefighters cut a ventilation hole in the roof of one home to stop the fire from spreading through the attics to additional houses.
Those whose homes were affected by the fire were instructed to call their insurance companies to discuss temporary living arrangements. The American Red Cross was en route to the scene Wednesday evening.
The homeowner confirmed the fire started in the garage, McMullen said, but the cause of fire is pending investigation by the state police fire marshal.