The Aftermath In Lititz ; $2 Million In Damage; Tobacco Ashes Said To Be Cause

Discarded ashes sparked a two-alarm blaze that displaced more than 20 residents and caused $2 million damage to a large apartment building in Warwick Township on Friday, fire officials said.

A resident and a firefighter, whose names were not released, suffered minor injuries in the fire in one of the Northeast Commons apartment buildings at the northeast edge of Lititz, said Cpl. Dustin Shireman, a state police fire marshal.

A resident of one of the apartments "discarded tobacco ashes into a container on a second-floor balcony," Shireman said. "I think they were from a pipe."

The ashes accidentally caught fire on the balcony, and flames spread into the attic, he said.

Attacking blaze

Crews responded at 5:20 p.m. Friday to the fire in the 400 block of North Oak Street, just south of Newport Road. The burning building and others nearby were evacuated, Lititz Deputy Fire Chief Mike Smith said.

Flames were visible through the roof as crews arrived, and it was initially erroneously reported someone was trapped inside.

Crews quickly determined no one was in the building, Smith said. The fire went to two alarms as the volunteers worked to keep the blaze from spreading through the row of attached, three-story apartment buildings.

Firefighters first prevented the bulk of the fire, which was on the southern end of the building, from jumping to an identical apartment building to the south, Smith said. They then stopped the fire from spreading to apartments on the north side of the burning building.

Finally, the 50 or more responding firefighters pulled down the second-floor ceilings so they could attack flames under the roofline, Smith said. They brought the fire under control shortly before 6:30 p.m.

"They did a tremendous job," Smith said. "I am very proud of them."

Displaced

The Red Cross is assisting 21 people from six families displaced by the fire. Spokesman Dan Tobin said shelter, cots, blankets and food are being provided.

Shireman and Smith said others were also displaced, but weren't sure how many or where they would be staying. They also did not know on Saturday how many apartments the fire destroyed.

Nineteen of the 20 apartments in the building were being rented. All 20 were condemned until an insurance company can assess them, Shireman said.

Michael Glass owns Newport Commons, Shireman said. A spokeswoman for the apartment complex declined comment Saturday.

$2 million damage

Shireman estimated damage at $1.5 million to the building and $500,000 to its contents. He doesn't believe all the apartments were damaged.

"The 10 apartments on the south half of the building suffered the most damage," the fire marshal said. He believes all residents in the complex are required to have renter's insurance.

The building was secured, Smith said. Warwick Township's code enforcement officer, Tom Zorbaugh, will work with the property manager to determine what apartments can be reinhabited, and when.

Smith warned others about throwing out ashes. "You can't discard anything hot and walk away from it," he said. "You've got to make sure it's out, from cigarettes to ashes from fireplaces or fire pits."

Injuries

The man who discarded the ashes drove himself to a hospital after suffering minor burns to an arm when he tried to extinguish the fire, Smith said. A firefighter was taken by ambulance to a hospital with a minor cut to an arm. Both were treated and released.

Another resident of the burned apartment building, Douglas Tapfuma, said he sent his two daughters outside to play after watching a movie with them. Within five minutes, he heard fire alarms and someone bang on the door.

"That's when I saw smoke," he said. He said he ran to get his phone and then to the balcony to check on his daughters, who were OK.

Tapfuma, who works at Woodstream in Lititz, said he found a neighbor outside as well, then called his wife, sending her a video so she'd know he wasn't joking about the fire.

Staff writers Chad Umble and Earle Cornelius contributed to this report.