Fire destroys Center Twp. house
CENTER TWP — A man suffered minor burns and possible smoke inhalation Monday night after his house — reportedly brimming with hoarded belongings — caught fire, authorities said.
The occupant, whose name was not immediately available, was able to escape with his dog about 8 p.m. before the blaze quickly overtook the two-story house at 221 Unionville Road.
Believed to be in his late-40s, he was taken by ambulance to Butler Memorial Hospital. His condition was not known Tuesday morning.
Dozens of firefighters from more than 10 departments battled the blaze for about two hours. But the cluttered house, still standing, was destroyed.
Crews left around midnight but had to return about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday when the fire rekindled, this time finishing off the house, which ultimately had to be ripped apart with a backhoe.
A state police fire marshal is investigating but the blaze was believed to be accidental, said Nathan Wulff, chief of the Unionville Volunteer Fire Department.
The house, owned by Lloyd Ifft, according to the Butler County Assessment Office, was not believed to be insured, authorities said.
The resident told investigators that the fire started in his bedroom, where he was using an electric space heater.
“He said he started smelling smoke,” Wulff said, “and he got out of there as quick as he could.”
Some of the man's hair was singed and he apparently had minor burns, possibly to his neck. Officials believe he also inhaled smoke as he made his way out.
Wulff was first to get there and found flames throughout the front of the house, on both floors, leaving crews to fight the fire from outside.
A “hoarder-style situation,” Wulff said, was fueling the deep-seated fire.
Crews said the home, constructed with vinyl siding and Styrofoam insulation, was packed with debris including piles of clothing, boxes of newspapers and magazines, bed frames and mattresses.
At peak, about 50 firefighters helped battle the blaze, which was under control in about an hour. But blocked entryways made it difficult to get inside the house.
The back door was used to get part of the way in. However, because of the damage caused by the fire, crews could not access the upstairs.“The second-floor stairs and floor were no good,” Wulff said.Firefighters opted to cut holes in the sides of the house, upstairs and down, to tackle the still smoldering fire.Since there are no fire hydrants nearby, firefighters were forced to shuttle water in with tankers, using a hydrant about one-half mile away at Unionville Road and Route 8.Crews later used compressed air foam to penetrate the interior in hopes of snuffing out the fire.Assisting the Unionville VFD were firefighters from Prospect, West Sunbury, Slippery Rock, Mercer Road, Butler Township Fire District 3, Chicora, Portersville, Lick Hill, Oneida Valley and Harrisville.The scene was cleared around midnight. But crews were called back about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday when a farmer across the road noticed the home was once again on fire.“It was probably burning for a half-hour to an hour before we were called,” Wulff said. By then, flames had inundated the house.“Every inch of it was on fire,” he said.The Center Township road department was called to bring a backhoe, which was used to rip apart the house and put out all remaining hot spots.Crews left the second time about 6:15 a.m.The state police fire marshal could not be reached for comment.
