At least two residents were displaced when fire damaged a two-story house Tuesday evening in Hempfield.
Crews from about 10 fire departments were dispatched shortly after 5:30 p.m. to the blaze in the 300 block of Price Street in the village of Bovard.
One of the residents was at home when flames broke out in the basement of the rental property, but everyone escaped safely and no injuries were reported, according to Hempfield Fire Chief Anthony Kovacic.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, Kovacic said.
“On arrival, they had heavy fire in the first floor,” he said of initial units at the scene. “They quickly got a line inside and made a hit on the fire. They got a pretty good handle on the fire and put it out quickly.”
Still, Kovacic said, the fire spread to the second floor. It also melted siding on the home’s exterior.
In attacking the flames, Kovacic said, “We had to vent the roof with the ladder truck, so there was damage on all levels.”
He said the residents are being assisted by relatives.
