A North Heidelberg Township home was gutted in an overnight fire that began when a car caught on fire in the driveway, a state police fire marshal said.
The fire on Gernert Lane, which is off Dynamite Road near Old Church Road, was reported by a neighbor shortly before 1 a.m. Friday.
The Bernville Fire Company chief arrived to find the elevated-rancher home fully aflame. The home was determined to be unoccupied.
The initial crews laid 1,000 feet of 5-inch hose line.
Bernville firefighters were assisted by crews from 13 fire companies in western and northern Berks and eastern Lebanon County, with a tanker brigade shuttling water to the scene. Crews needed about an hour to control the flames
Some crews remained on the scene for three hours, extinguishing hot spots and mopping up.
Trooper Corey Heimbach of the state police Troop L fire marshal unit determined the fire originated around a sedan that was parked in the driveway. The precise cause of the fire hasn’t been determined, but Heimbach said no criminal activity is suspected.
No one was injured.
The home was deemed a total loss, with damages estimated at more than $400,000.