Building repairs begin after fire
It seemed like a typical day, even though their schoolhouse was damaged by fire about two months ago.
Head teacher
"We came in and wiped everything off because there was a little soot, but otherwise everything was fine," Print said.
While the businesses that call the Trail Blazer building home are getting back to normal, signs of the fire, from stains in the hallway carpets to smoke damage in the rooms, are still evident.
And for some, life at the Trail Blazer will never return to normal. Building owner
Fire damage is still most evident on the ground floor, where a state police fire marshal said the blaze was deliberately set. Parts of the drop ceiling are missing, and the walls are grayed with smoke damage.
The door to Apartment 24 -- near the fire's origin -- is almost completely burned black.
Meanwhile, Andel is continuing work to bring residents back to the building. However, he said difficulties over insurance have delayed repair efforts.
"It's frustrating," he said.
But Andel has nothing but praise for Servpro, a restoration company that has been working on the building for almost two months.
"Servpro has been the one beacon of hope during all of this," he said.
Even though remediation efforts are taking longer than anticipated, Andel credits
A brick structure only a few feet from a exit near the fire's origin houses natural gas valves, which are connected to main gas lines.
Had the fire ignited the gas lines or the pump station, Andel said he doesn't want to think about what the damage to the building could have been, or the potential of the fire spreading through the lines to other houses.
"We could've been on the national news in a bad way," Andel said.
___
(c)2019 The Herald (Sharon,Pa)
Visit The Herald (Sharon,Pa) at www.sharonherald.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Justice Dept. Charges 149 In Health Care Fraud Takedown
Feds Update Flood Map Changes Along The Susquehanna River
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News