Spring Township fire blamed on cigarette ashes

Nov. 14--The two-alarm fire that ravaged a farmhouse in Spring Township on Oct. 27 was sparked by improperly discarded cigarette ashes, the township fire marshal said Wednesday.

A passer-by noticed the blaze about 3 p.m. at the home of Edward and Diane Hartman at 1750 Van Reed Road.

Fire Commissioner Pat Brandenburg, who is also the fire marshal, said the accidental fire caused an estimated $180,000 damage to the one-story house behind a barn at the end of a long gravel lane. The house, built in the 1960s, is part of the sprawling Scattered Acres Inc. farm that the Hartman family owns.

Brandenburg said the fire started on the porch where cigarettes were discarded in a plastic bucket. The ashes ignited the porch and flames spread to the attic.

No one was home when the fire broke out.

Flames were shooting through the roof and attic when the first fire crews arrived, Brandenburg said.

Firefighters had to lay more than 4,000 feet of hose to reach the closest fire hydrant in the nearby Spring Ridge residential development. Crews from more than a dozen fire companies responded, and they needed about 90 minutes to control the flames.

Firefighters placed tarps over many of the family's possessions to keep them from being damaged.

The Hartmans resided in the home with an adult daughter and another person, Brandenberg said. He did not provide their names.

The family is working with their home insurance representatives to rebuild the home, he said.

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