Patrick Buchnowski
pbuchnowski@tribdem.com
JOHNSTOWN —
A state police fire marshal is searching for the cause of a two-alarm fire that ripped through a Lower Yoder Township home Tuesday.
The fire broke out on the second floor of the Tracy Graham residence at 89 D St. Extension at 12:14 p.m.
Two women who live there were not home at the time. Two dogs were rescued and one firefighter was taken to the hospital for treatment of heat exhaustion, Lower Yoder fire Chief Russ Keen said.
“There’s a lot of damage,” Keen said at the scene. “The whole second floor is gone.”
When firefighters arrived, smoke was pouring through a second-floor window. Witnesses said they spotted smoke and called 911.
“I was heading home from Pizza Hut when I saw heavy smoke and flames shooting through the roof,” said Stacy Lafferty, who was one of several people who reported the blaze.
Neighbors watched as firefighters sprayed water and foam into a gaping hole in the second floor.
Due to heavy smoke, it took time to find the flames, Keen said.
Twila Bowser watched firefighters from her home across the street.
“I just looked out, and all of a sudden there was black smoke,” she said.
“Neighbors were trying to see if there was anybody inside.”
Bowser said she believed a young man pried open a window to rescue one of the dogs.
It took about 11⁄2 hours to knock down the flames, Keen said. Fire crews also battled temperatures that reached 88 degrees.
“We had CamTran bring a bus down for the firemen to sit in the air conditioning,” Keen said.
Crews were on scene well past the dinner hour as a fire marshal from Indiana picked through the rubble.
Keen said the first floor was saved, but the second floor was a complete loss with damage estimated at $30,000 to $40,000.
