Fires destroy barn, apartment building

May 07--Fires on Saturday destroyed a barn near Beaver Springs and an apartment building in McClure where a fire chief lived.

A fatal fire also was reported in a Lycoming County mobile home park earlier in the day.

The first Snyder County fire destroyed an Amish barn at 400 Kepner Road, Spring Township. Beaver Springs Fire Chief Erik Markley said firefighters were called at approximately 3 p.m.

The fire consumed the barn, but neighbors saved cattle and horses before the fire became too severe.

"At this point, it's definitely accidental. It's definitely not suspicious," Markley said.

Neighbor Lori Luckenbaugh said her husband, Frank, and son Hunter helped remove livestock from Aaron and Barbara Yoder's barn.

"They saved two buggies and a little tack, but the heat was so intense, they had to get out," she said. "It went so fast. It was just a little smoke when hubby first saw it. Til he and Hunter got over across the road, the flames were shooting out the sides of the barn roof and overhead door. Just so fast."

Markley said he didn't know the cause of the fire, but an insurance adjuster was expected to investigate. He said he also would notify the state police fire marshal, but he wasn't expecting the fire marshal to investigate because the fire was not considered suspicious.

Markley estimated the loss at $80,000 to $100,000.

"There were a few implements inside," the chief said. "A lot of hay was lost."

No one was injured. In addition to Beaver Springs, fire companies from Beavertown, Bannerville, McClure and Middleburg responded. Firefighters were on the scene until about 6:30 p.m.

The fire in McClure destroyed a three-unit apartment building at 14 S. Brown St.

The fire was called in at about 9:10 p.m. to the building where two families resided, said Fire Chief John Knepp.

He said the building included three two-story apartments. The fire started in the right-side apartment where former fire chief and current First Assistant Fire Chief Keith Martin lived with his wife, Julie, their son, Jordan, 16, and daughter, Kristi, who Knepp estimated was 11 or 12.

"It started out as electrical, it spread to a sofa and rapidly intensified and spread," Knepp said. "The building itself was a total loss. The occupants were able to salvage some of their personal belongings."

He said Dave and Tara Young lived in the left-side apartment but were not at home when the fire started. The middle apartment was vacant.

The Martins got their own dog and the Youngs' two or three dogs out safely, the chief said.

Ken Haffinger, of McClure, owns the apartment building, Knepp said. The chief did not have an estimate of damage, but he said it was not suspicious. He said the residents are staying with friends and relatives.

Firefighters from Beaver Springs, Beavertown, McClure, Bannerville, Middleburg and companies out of Mifflin and Juniata counties responded to the fire call. Firefighters remained on the scene until about 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

In the fatal fire in Lycoming County, the coroner's office said 47-year-old Richard Wysocki was found dead in the kitchen of his home in the Vali View Mobile Home Park in Fairfield Township near Muncy at about 7:45 a.m. Saturday. Cpl. Nicholas A. Loffredo, a state police fire marshal, said there was nothing suspicious about the blaze, although the cause remains under investigation.

Coroner Charles Kiessling Jr. said Wysocki, who lived alone, was pronounced dead at the scene of "extensive burn trauma and smoke inhalation."

Email comments to [email protected]. Follow Sylvester on Twitter @JoepSylvester. The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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