BUFFALO TWP — It was the house he grew up in. It was in flames.

“It was tough to watch,” Gary Risch Jr. admitted, “especially for my mother and sister.”

The entire Risch family showed up after they got word that their old homestead — a farmhouse on Route 356 near Sarver Road in Buffalo Township — was on fire.

Fire officials believe the blaze started about 11:30 p.m. Thursday in an attached two-stall garage in back of the house. No one was injured.

The two-story house with an attic, owned by Gary Risch Sr., a township supervisor, had been unoccupied for about six months. He and his wife had recently moved into a smaller house in the township.

A state police fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire. He could not be reached for comment.

Eight fire departments were called out but flames, fanned by strong winds, soon had taken over the house.

“The back half of the structure was fully involved,” said Matt Cypher of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company. “The fire moved very, very rapidly into the house. It was extremely wind driven.”

So windy, he said, that “the flames were blowing sideways.”

Fire crews at one point also had to deal with a heavy burst of snow, not to mention falling temperatures.

Risch Jr. learned of the fire from his sister, who called him on the phone. He got there about 12:30 a.m. Friday, as fast as he could.

“It was fully engulfed,” he said, “and with the wind like it was, my God, you couldn't have fought anything.”

A life member of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company who has seen his share of fire scenes, he speaks from experience.

The wind-swept fire was so bad that an interior attack was never an option, Cypher said.

It wasn't until about 2 a.m. that the fire was out. But crews were called back about 4:15 a.m. after the fire rekindled.

“It was so stubborn,” Cypher said of the blaze.

The 40-year-old Risch Jr. said that when he drove past the remains of his childhood home about 7:30 a.m., it was still smoldering.

The fire and aftermath also rekindled memories of his days growing up in the house.

“Good times,” he said.

While his parents had moved to another home, Risch Jr. said there were still some belongings inside. Utilities, including heat and electric, were still connected.

He noted a laundry room was located just inside the house where it connected to the back corner of the garage, the possible origin of the fire.

Due to the extensive damage, Cypher admitted that a cause may never be determined. He said there was no reason to believe it was suspicious.

He estimated the damage to be at least $250,000.

Risch Jr. said he believes the house was built in the early 1900s. “Old” is what's listed on Butler County Assessment Office records, but no date.

Risch Sr.'s father, Ralph, was the previous owner of the property.

The house is next to Smokin' Toad's BBQ, a restaurant that once housed Risch's Supermarket, a family business that was opened in 1950. It closed in 2007.

Additionally, the family used to own a beer distributor that sat between the house and former supermarket

Cypher said he spoke briefly with Risch Sr. at the scene. He lamented the loss of the family's house.

“We did all we could,” Cypher said, “but it was the worst of circumstances.”

Risch Jr. was appreciative of the firefighters' efforts.

“I was there,” he said, “they were awesome.”