Man loses his home in Pa. fire

January 27, 2003|by RICHARD BELISLE

A Southampton Township man lost his home and all his belongings early Friday morning when fire destroyed an old brick farmhouse and an outbuilding next to it, a spokesman with the West End Fire and Rescue Co. in Shippensburg, Pa., said.

There was no damage estimate.

"It was a total loss," said Dennis Clopper, fire department spokesman.

There were no injuries.

The two-story home at 7541 White Church Road was occupied by John Hammond, who made arrangements to stay with relatives, Clopper said.

At first firefighters had reports there was someone trapped in the house. When it was learned the house was empty, it was decided not to send firefighters inside.

It was the West End Fire and Rescue Co. that lost a member in a house fire Monday.

Keith Hess, 22, a volunteer with the company and a paid emergency medical technician with the Fannett-Metal Fire Department, died when the chimney of a house that burned in Blairs Mill, Pa., collapsed and trapped him, officials said.

A memorial service for Hess at 2:30 p.m. today will precede his burial at Spring Hill Cemetery.

Clopper said the cause of Friday's fire is under investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police fire marshal's office.

Firefighters had trouble getting a water supply after the initial effort to quell the blaze, he said. They had to relay hoses to a distant hydrant through two pumpers.

Units responded from Franklin and Cumberland counties.

Hammond was the second Franklin County resident to be burned out of a home this week.

A fire Thursday morning destroyed a two-story frame house on Old Route 16 in Blue Ridge Summit owned by Ruby McKendrick, 88.

Faulty wiring caused that fire, investigators said.

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