FIREFIGHTER INJURED, THREE TOWNHOUSES HEAVILY DAMAGED IN BENSALEM, PENNSYLVANIA FIRE. THE HEAT FROM THE FIREPLACE IGNITED CARDBOARD BOXES STORED NEARBY.
February 1, 2015
BENSALEM, PA
A firefighter was injured in a fast-moving fire Sunday
evening that left three townhouses uninhabitable in Bensalem, the township’s
chief fire investigator confirmed.
Seven people — including four in the home where the fire
started — escaped without injury after the fire started in a house in the 5000
block of Sayer Court in the Hidden Valley development off Hulmeville Road,
Battalion Chief Robert Sponheimer said.
One unidentified firefighter was taken to the hospital with
burns on his ears and shoulder, Sponheimer said. More than seven area fire
companies responded to the one-alarm blaze, which was reported shortly before 7
p.m. and was brought under control in under an hour.
A preliminary investigation has determined the accidental
fire started in the dining room of a home near a two-sided fireplace that was
in use, Sponheimer said. It appears that radiant heat from the portion of the
fireplace facing the dining room ignited cardboard boxes containing new bedroom
furniture and bedding that was being stored in the dining room, Sponheimer
said.
The fire quickly spread to an attached home, which saw
moderate fire damage in the attic and exterior of the home and serious smoke
damage, Sponheimer said. A third unit on the other side of the home where the
fire started has moderate smoke and water damage, but no fire damage, he added.
The house where the fire started is destroyed, Sponheimer
said. All three townhouses are considered uninhabitable and the families are
being helped by the Southeastern Pennsylvania chapter of the American Red Cross,
Sponheimer said.
