A fire in Kiski Township destroyed a garage, a classic pickup truck and a camper Wednesday afternoon, but no injuries were reported.
“It was minutes from the house catching fire,” Kiski Township fire Chief Rich Frain said.
Firefighters were able to save two nearby homes, although both had the vinyl siding melted from them.
Bob Wofford was making lunch and preparing to go to work as a heavy-equipment operator when he saw the flames on one side of his house shortly after noon.
His garage was ablaze no more than five feet away from his residence.
“Time is a blur,” said Wofford, who, along with his wife and 10-year-old son, have lived at the home for about eight years. Wofford said his family wasn’t home when the fire broke out.
Firefighters from Kiski Township and six other departments managed to limit the damage.
The Washington Township aerial truck sprayed water on top of the blaze.
“I don’t know if we could have done it without them,” Kiski Fire Capt. Dylan Foster said. “The aerial was crucial.”
Foster said the fire apparently started in the garage.
They were able to knock down the blaze on the property in the Spring Church neighborhood. It’s on Lutheran Church Road, about 700 yards from Route 56 and right across from the road from the Elks golf course.
“There’s minimal damage to my home,” Wofford said.
Nearby, a twisted metal roof sat near the blackened rubble of the destroyed garage.
A Kiski Township backhoe was used to pull the metal roof off the debris and then separate the burning heap for firefighters to douse the flames.
Wofford’s 1977 Chevrolet Silverado truck was pulled out of the garage but was destroyed.
His 1982 Mallard camper was burned to the metal frame.
