Flames spread next door
ZELIENOPLE — No one was hurt Tuesday in a fire that destroyed two garages on neighboring properties on Spruce Street.
The blaze started in the three-car garage owned by David and Mary Jo Towsey at 209 Spruce St. and spread to the garage next door at 201 Spruce St., which belongs to the Falkenhan family.
Lt. John Kovacic of the Harmony Fire District said the suspected cause was a wood burner, but the state police fire marshal will investigate.
The heat from the burning garage heated up the Towsey house and melted some of the siding, but firefighters were able to prevent any significant damage by knocking down the fire with a high volume of water, Kovacic said.
David Towsey said he was planting flowers in his front yard when a neighbor alerted him to the fire.
“I was out front and someone came down the street and said 'your garage is one fire,'” he said.
He said he tried to get into the garage to save his wife's car, but it was already too hot.
He and his wife then got off the property and made their way across the street. They have lived in the house for 40 years, he said.
Eric Falkenhan said he ran over to his neighbors' house to make sure they were OK when he saw the smoke. He said he couldn't find David Towsey at first and feared he might be inside the burning garage, but he eventually turned up.
“I gave him a hug. I said, “'I'm so happy you're still alive,'” he said.
Mary Frankenstein of Pine Street said she also called 911 and ran over to make sure everyone was OK when she saw the smoke.
“It was really scary,” she said.
The damage to the Towsey garage is estimated at $20,000, including a car and other items inside that were destroyed, Kovacic said. The damage to the Falkenhan garage is estimated at $15,000. It did not fully collapse and many of the items inside were salvageable.
Firefighters stayed at the scene for about two and a half hours. Since the roof collapsed on the first garage, it took time to dig through the wreckage and put out the remaining hot spots, he said.
Assisting the Harmony Fire District were firefighters from Cranberry Township, Ellwood City, Franklin Township, New Sewickley Township, Evans City and Callery fire departments.
