Fire destroys Julian home

By Chris Rosenblum

HUSTON TOWNSHIP — Wendy Thompson prepared to mow her lawn Monday morning when she looked back to a horrifying sight. Her house was burning.

CDT/Nabil K. Mark

A moblie home is burned along Julian Pike in Huston Township Monday, May 18, 2009. CDT/Nabil K. Mark

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• A.M.BRIEFING: Tuesday

Flames shot from a window. Despite a neighbor’s attempts to extinguish the blaze, her mobile home at 529 Beaver Road near Julian quickly became engulfed.

“I think I lost everything,” Thompson said, choking back her words. “My home is gone.”

Firefighters from six local fire companies arrived at the scene about 9:50 a.m.

State police Fire Marshal Jeff Wharran said a window-unit air conditioner overloaded an old electrical circuit, igniting a sofa. From there, he said, the fire spread to other furniture before destroying the home.

The damage was estimated by police at $25,000.

Thompson’s four dogs escaped, but her 12-year-old son, Tyler Bickle, returned from school at midday to learn his turtle, lizard and cat, Bubba, had perished.

The home also contained ammunition for guns belonging to Thompson’s fiancé. Early on, firefighters contended with explosions from detonating rifle and pistol bullets.

“There were several small ones, and a pretty good one,” said Port Matilda Deputy Chief Sam Connor.

Firefighters closed off Beaver Road as a precaution, but nobody was injured.

Monday’s fire left Thompson, who has insurance, with little but a stack of singed photos saved by firefighters and her black Chevy Blazer. For the time being, she plans on staying with her mother, Mary Thompson.

The Blazer probably wouldn’t have survived without the quick thinking of Steve Donley, who lives down the road.

Rushing out from pumping a basement next door, he tried to contain the fire for 10 minutes with a garden hose until wind whipped the flames beyond control.

But there was the Blazer, parked in the carport with the keys inside the house. Donley attached a cable and had a firefighter yank the car away — partially into a ditch, but safe.

That didn’t console Donley, who wished he could have kept Thompson’s home from turning into a smoldering heap. “I feel bad,” he said.

Chris Rosenblum can be reached at 231-4620.