By Jack Panyard
LNP
QUARRYVILLE, Pa. — A burn barrel is responsible for Tuesday afternoon’s fire at Freys Pallets in Quarryville, resulting in $600,000 in losses, according to the Pennsylvania State Fire Marshal.
Thursday morning state police said the fire marshal ruled the 3-acre fire an accident, saying the burn barrel, where employees were disposing of scrap wood, got out of control, and that wind and the dry wood used to build pallets only exacerbated the fire.
Dozens of Lancaster County fire departments responded to the blaze in Drumore Township just after 3 p.m. where hundreds of wooden pallets were on fire. The fire damaged firetrucks, brought down power lines and destroyed two barn-sized buildings on the property. The additional buildings, the property owner’s home and a barn, were saved.
Flames reached up to 70 feet high, a fire chief at the scene said, with smoke that could be seen for miles.
The fire marshal said some of the firefighters had minor burns from the heat of the fire.
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