Amish farmhouse damaged by blaze

Feb. 19--LACKAWANNOCK TOWNSHIP -- No one was hurt in a house fire late Friday night on Orchard Road in Lackawannock Township, West Middlesex Fire Chief Don Hoover said.

Firefighters arrived at about 11 p.m. at an Amish farmhouse that had heavy smoke from a fire that was trying to climb its way up the chimney, Hoover said.

With help from East End, Jefferson Township and Hermitage fire departments, the fire was contained between the basement and sub-flooring of the first floor in the lower chimney area.

The owner, Daniel Byler, and his family were not at home when the fire started, Hoover said.

"It was just fortunate they came home when they did," he said.

Hoover said the matriarch of the family had been canning most of the day in the chimney area, which is where he thinks the fire started.

Hoover estimated the damage to be about $15,000. He said the family does not have insurance.

The family was staying with relatives, but the house is not a complete loss, he said.

A sturdy wall kept the fire from going to the living room, Hoover said. And although the fire started to work its way up the walls, there was hardly any damage in the upstairs bedrooms, the chief said.

However, the fire did ruin a lot of items in the basement. "They lost a lot of their food in the pantry," Hoover said.

Hoover also recommends that residents put house numbers in a place that is easy for first responders to see.

He said fire was not showing at the Byler home, and firefighters passed the home as is could not be seen from the road.

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