Three members of an Exeter Township family escaped their home through second‑floor windows Sunday morning after smoke from a garage fire cut off their only interior exit.
The fire broke out just after 10 a.m. in the attached garage of the townhouse in the 1100 block of Fox Run. According to Exeter police Sgt. David M. Bentz, who also serves as township fire marshal, the fire quickly filled the stairwell with smoke after a 26‑year-old resident opened the interior garage door while investigating the smell of smoke. With the primary escape route blocked, all three family members were forced to the second floor.
The 26‑year‑old jumped from a window and was not injured in the fall, but he was taken to Reading Hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation.
His 43‑year‑old mother climbed out onto the garage roof, and his 16‑year‑old sister made her way onto the rear porch roof.
Before emergency crews arrived, neighbor Ivan Towles spotted heavy smoke while walking his dog. After securing the dog, he ran to the home and positioned himself beneath the second‑floor windows, urging the trapped occupants to jump. Towles helped the girl descend safely from the porch roof and then assisted her mother down from the garage roof, reducing the impact of the fall and preventing injury.
Exeter police Sgt. Daniel Fox, who was one of the first responders on scene, said Towles’ actions were instrumental in getting both occupants out of harm’s way as conditions inside the home rapidly deteriorated.
A formal nomination submitted by Sgt. Daniel J. Fox describes Towles’ actions as “exceptional courage, selflessness, and an unwavering commitment to the safety of others,” recommending him for the township’s Civilian Service Award for his role in the rescue.
Fire officials later determined there were no functioning smoke alarms in the home that could have alerted the family in time to escape via the ground floor. The exact cause of the fire hasn’t been determined, but it’s not considered to be suspicious in origin.
Firefighters contained the fire mostly to the garage, but the home is uninhabitable due to smoke and water damage. The American Red Cross was requested to assist the family with emergency needs.
The two adjoining homes sustained smoke damage, but the occupants were allowed to return once they were ventilated.