Neighbor sees smoke, calls 911
BUFFALO TWP — Multiple fire crews fought to extinguish a house fire at 196 Creekside Road in the township Friday afternoon after a neighbor noticed smoke coming from the property.
Chelsey Ripple was getting her children ready for the pool around 1:45 p.m. when she smelled smoke.
Her neighbors a few doors down must have been grilling, she thought, but Ripple then realized the smoke was coming from inside the neighbor's house.
She called in the emergency, and fire crews were able to extinguish a fire in the master bedroom of 196 Creek Side Drive.
“We were getting ready to leave, and I looked around the house, and it was coming from the window,” Ripple said of the smoke. “No one was there so I called 911.”
Matt Cypher, chief of Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company, said no one was home when the fire started No one was injured during the fire.
The fire caused considerable damage to the bedroom, and the rest of the house sustained some smoke and water damage.
He said the fire is still under investigation, but the fire crews suspect an electrical problem caused the fire.
“When we got here we saw a lot of smoke coming from the back of the house,” he said. “It wasn't hard to get out, it was just a tight house.”
In addition to Buffalo, Sarver Volunteer Fire Company and Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company responded to the fire.
Ripple said she has never seen so many fire trucks on the street, which drew the attention of residents and some children in the neighborhood.
As the fire crews were wrapping up the scene, a group of children approached the firefighters to give them colorful “thank you” drawings.
“We all kind of encouraged them,” Ripple said. “They have never seen this many fire trucks.”
