EXETER, Pa. — Smoke filled the sky in Exeter as flames tore through a double block home on Bellus Court on Friday afternoon.
Firefighters fought the fire from up high on ladders as well as from the ground, trying to get it under control.
The fire chief in Exeter tells Newswatch 16 he knew very quickly man power was needed from across the valley to put it out.
"It didn't take very long," explained Exeter Borough Fire Chief Jared Jordan. "Day time we're just limited with our staff and everything like most departments in the area. So, with the limited access and knowing when we had to stretch lines by hand,you know, we probably within the first 15-20 minutes in the fire. We saw that it was expanded rapidly and we needed assistance, I think we went to two or three box alarms."
"Well the firefighters were there, spraying water on it, and all the smoke was coming up in the air. And there was like a lot of people around," added Jacob Krulick who lives nearby.
Fire crews from Exeter, West Pittston, Pittston City, Pittston Township, Jenkins Township, Wyoming, West Wyoming and Laflin were among those who responded.
Those companies provided assistance to help lay hoses from fire hydrants through the tight alley ways that led to the building in order to fight the fire from several angles. The chief says it was a kitchen fire that led to all this destruction.
"It started on the residents on the left spread to the right, and we were just hindered due to weather conditions and the limited access to the alleyway for apparatus," added Chief Jordan.
The police department is where the victims of this fire met with the Red Cross to get assistance, between the two homes that were destroyed here, 3 adults and 2 children are left with nothing.
The fire chief says this building will likely have to be torn down in Exeter.