Fire guts four Shamokin homes

Sept. 19--SHAMOKIN -- A three-alarm fire in Shamokin ate through four row homes and ignited the roof of a porch of a fifth Thursday.

Firefighters responded at around 1:45 p.m. to the blaze to find the rear porch of 527 and 525 N. First St. fully engulfed in flames. The fire quickly spread down the block to 523 and 521 N. First St.

The rear porch of a home at the corner of Walnut and Second streets also ignited, but the fire was quickly extinguished by firefighters.

Heat given off by the flames melted siding on several nearby homes.

Firefighters scaled to the roofs of the building on the Americus Hose Company, Sunbury, and the Overlook Fire Company ladder trucks.

PPL arrived to manage power lines that gave off sparks when flames burst from the windows of the homes.

A firefighter was taken to Geisinger-Shamokin Area Community Hospital for heat exhaustion, said Jason Zimmerman, deputy chief of the Shamokin Fire Bureau. The firefighter was not identified.

Zimmerman said all of the occupants of the homes were accounted for and uninjured.

He estimated it took firefighters an hour and a half to bring the fire under control, and that they would continue to work the scene for several more hours.

Wall of flames

Jeanette Krieger, of 527 N. First St., said she was sitting at her computer when she heard "popping" and looked to see where the noise was coming from.

"All I saw was a wall of flames on my back porch," said Krieger.

She dialed 911, and then ran out into the yard to move her car away from the growing flames.

Krieger, who owned the home for 42 years, said she is insured.

"I don't see anything being recovered from there," she said about her home.

Krieger was most worried about the loss of her two cats. She had not seen them since the fire broke out, but firefighters also told her Thursday afternoon the pets had not yet been located inside the building.

"They're my babies," Krieger.

A cat was rescued by firefighters from inside the burning buildings, but it was not one of Krieger's.

Michael Feese, of 525 N. First St., said he was in the front bedroom when firefighters knocked on his door and told him the building was burning.

Feese, who managed to get his dogs out of the building safely, did not have renters insurance.

Building owner, Devin Milbrand, was away when the fire occurred. His mother, Lisa Milbrand, was on scene. She was unsure if the property is insured.

Ken Leeman, who owned 523 N. First St., said he was alerted to the fire by a neighbor. He was relieved everyone got out of the building, which was insured, safely.

His tenant, Gary Lee Adams Jr., was home when the fire began. Adams said he heard popping, then saw the rear porch of his neighbor's home engulfed in flames.

At first he didn't think he had to leave, but was soon ordered otherwise by firefighters.

Randel Malone, tenant at 521 N. First St., was home preparing lunch when the fire broke out. He said when he answered knocking at his door, he saw smoke.

He said he doesn't have renters insurance, and that the fire was poorly timed because he was in the process of purchasing the home.

Firefighters also entered 519 N. First St. to control the fire in the adjacent building.

"We're thinking we just got some smoke and water damage," said building owner Ryan Smith, who added he was not home at the time of the fire but the building is insured.

Zimmerman said the exact location and cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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