5 people displaced after early morning house fire in rural Centre County

A house in rural Centre County sustained heavy damage early Monday morning in a fire that displaced five residents.

First responders were dispatched at about 4:50 a.m. Monday to the 400 block of State Street in Rush Township, Mountain Top Fire Company Chief Tim Sharpless told the Centre Daily Times.

Alongside Mountain Top, the Hope, Reliance, Columbia and Houtzdale-Ramey fire companies also responded to the blaze, which Sharpless said was under control within an hour despite some “wind issues.”

The fire broke out in the garage beside the home, leaving both the house and the garage heavily damaged. The car in the garage was also significantly damaged.

A family of five that included a couple, two children and the children’s grandfather were living in the home at the time of the fire, and all safely evacuated. The residents were displaced, and Sharpless said that they were going to find their own lodging.

The cause of the fire has yet to be identified.