Family’s dogs were victims in Halfmoon fire
Although the flames were quickly extinguished at a residential fire Tuesday in Halfmoon Township, the smoke was too much for the family’s two dogs, who perished in the blaze.
Neighbors of the homeowners set up a GoFundMe campaign to help the family as it recovers from the fire. The home on the 100 block of Tow Hill Road is salvageable, Port Matilda Fire Capt. Derrick Reese said, but took smoke and heat damage.
Reese’s company was dispatched shortly before 3 p.m. Tuesday to a report of smoke showing through the windows of a home. A few minutes later, the caller reported seeing flames coming from the back of the structure.
Once on scene, Reese confirmed a working fire, and units from Warriors Mark, Alpha and Boalsburg also were dispatched. Boalsburg’s tanker, however, was sent back before it arrived, as Reese said it took about 10 minutes to bring the fire under control.
“There was a working fire near the rear of the structure, and some light smoke connected from the house,” Reese said. “Threw a stretched handline through the structure, knocked the fire out.”
The couple was not home at the time, and no firefighters were hurt.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, Reese said, but under investigation by the Centre Region fire marshal.
Tyrone’s Neptune and Osceola Mills’ Columbia fire companies were on standby at the Port Matilda station.
This story was originally published February 27, 2019 at 6:50 PM.
