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Flames level small 2-story building in Clay Township

No animals or people were harmed when a fire destroyed a two-story building Wednesday afternoon on West Sunbury Road in Clay Township.

CLAY TWP — A small, two-story structure on West Sunbury Road used to house two goats was destroyed by a fire Wednesday at about 1 p.m., but no animals or people were harmed.

Matt Wilson, fire chief for West Sunbury Volunteer Fire Department, said the building at 1307 West Sunbury Road was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived.

Wilson’s team was first on the scene. A resident of the property, Kiersten Baney, said the department arrived within five minutes of reporting the fire.

Two goats were near the blaze in an attached pen, but both were released. Nothing else was inside.

Residents said they believe the fire was caused by an electrical problem, as nothing else was inside. The structure was not heated. The property had power Wednesday.

Wilson said an adjacent garage likely would’ve faced similar damages if the wind had been blowing the opposite direction.

Unlike the burned structure, the adjacent building held a prized possession: a 1964 Ford Thunderbird.

Both the car and the goats were unharmed.

Besides West Sunbury, fire crews from Unionville and Marion Township arrived on the scene, as well as a Butler ambulance.

Emergency responders were on scene for about 45 minutes, Wilson said.

Firefighters knocked down the flames using water.

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