A Greenwich Township family was displaced by a fire Sunday afternoon that heavily damaged their home.
The fire in the first block of Jay Lane, off Old Route 22 just east of the village of Krumsville, was discovered by a neighbor about 1:15 p.m., said Matt Brett, chief of Kempton Fire Company.
The neighbor heard glass breaking and went over to investigate. By that time, the fire had overtaken most of the second floor of the large two-story home, Brett said.
The neighbor knocked on the door but no one answered. Firefighters would later learn that the family was not home at the time but their dog was. The dog perished in the fire.
Crews from the Kempton and Kutztown fire companies and Weisenberg Volunteer Fire Department in western Lehigh County responded to the initial alarm. Brett requested a second alarm, drawing crews from a wider area, due to the size of the house.
Tanker trucks filled at a dry hydrant at Long Lane Road and Old Route 22.
Crews initially mounted an interior attack, but Brett ordered firefighters to evacuate as the fire intensified. Firefighters pounded the flames above with the help of an aerial ladder truck.
David J Reimer Sr Emergency Service Photography
Crews battle a two-alarm fire Sunday on Jay Lane in Greenwich Township. (Courtesy of David J Reimer Sr Emergency Services Photography)
Crews eventually resumed an interior attack.
“The bulk of fire was under control within 30 minutes of the first-arriving crew,” the fire chief said.
The home is probably a total loss, said Brett, adding that it appears the fire started well before the neighbor discovered it.
The American Red Cross was called to provide temporary shelter and other needs until the family and the homeowner’s insurance company work out a longer-term housing plan, he said.
The cause of the fire wasn’t immediately known. Brett said it appeared to start within the second floor.
A state police fire marshal was set to return to the fire scene with the local fire marshal to investigate the origin and cause.