By Amanda Dolasinski
The York Dispatch
HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Volunteer firefighters carefully worked around ice on a narrow road as they battled a fire in a Hopewell Township farmhouse Monday night.
Firefighters were called to 1129 Woolen Mill Road in Hopewell Township around 7:12 p.m. Crews had the fire under control in about an hour, Eureka Volunteer Fire Co. Chief Ira Walker Jr. said.
Fire Chief Bob Yonas of the Norrisville, Md., Fire Co. fell on ice and broke a leg, police said.
A neighbor driving past the home saw flames and called for help. The first firefighters on scene did a quick search of the home and determined no one was inside. They secured a dog tied up outside.
Two adults were displaced in the fire, and the Red Cross was called to assist them, Walker said.
Trooper Patrick McKenna Jr., the Pennsylvania State Police fire marshal, said Tuesday morning that the fire was accidental and was caused by the improper ventilation of a wood stove. The vent pipe ignited combustible materials lying on the pipe, McKenna said.
Most of the damage occurred on the second and third floors of the home. The slate roof partially collapsed and forced firefighters out of the home a few times, Walker said.
Volunteer fire crews from Fawn Grove and North Hopewell were called to assist. Crews from Maryland — Norrisville, Whiteford and Jarrettsville — were also helping.
Of his nearly 15 years in fire service, Walker said, the farmhouse was the most challenging fire he has worked because it was difficult to access the home. The home was up a hill, about 1,500 feet from the intersection of Woolen Mill and Draco roads.
Firefighters could only fit one apparatus up the narrow, steep hill. Tree limbs were sawed off to make room for the truck, which sustained minor damage, he said. Billy Amberman Jr., a driver, carefully maneuvered the fire truck up the narrow road to the burning home.
“We knew we were only going to get one truck back there,” Walker said. “I was crossing my fingers. That driver needs a medal.”
Once the truck was near the home, firefighters had to deal with icy conditions.Tire chains had to be put on the truck to allow it to move from the home and through a dip in the road after the fire was put out.
“The driveway was like a skating rink,” he said. “The fact that (the home) is still standing and there’s things to salvage is a testament to the work that was done here.”
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