Women Escape Early-Morning Fire
A fire that started in the basement of a home along Guthrie Road in Manor Township quickly engulfed the residence and caused more than a half-dozen volunteer fire companies to respond. Neither the occupants nor firefighters were injured in the fire.
By Jonathan Weaver
A pair of women safely escaped before fire spread through their Manor Township home early this morning.
Homeowner Joanne Haneke and her granddaughter, Vanessa (a Ford City High and Clarion University graduate), awoke to smoke in their two-story house at 2200 Guthrie Road – located about three miles from Lenape Heights Golf Course.
The fire began shortly about 2AM and quickly engulfed the house.
Manor Township Fire Chief Chad Evans said the fire originated with a dryer in the basement, but quickly spread throughout the two-story structure.
“The homeowner was doing laundry yesterday evening. She put a load of clothes in the dryer about 7PM and woke to go to the bathroom about 2AM and smelled smoke,” Chief Evans said. “She checked her granddaughter’s bedroom – didn’t find anything there – and then went downstairs to the basement, and was met with a face-full of smoke.
“The house was fully involved when we got here.”
Although Manor Township, Ford City and Ford Cliff firefighters were the first dispatched by Armstrong County 9-1-1, volunteers requested extra assistance from four other fire companies responded to extinguish the flames and secure the scene.
Volunteers from Kittanning Hose Company #4 and #6, Kittanning Township and Rayburn Township, along with the Armstrong County Hazardous Operations Support Team (HOST), combined to total more than two dozen volunteer firefighters on-scene (not counting Kittanning #6 and Ford City Ambulance medical officials).
Firefighters attacked from all sides of the structure – including cutting through a first floor wall, the roof and breaking glass in windows to ventilate the residence.
“With the amount of fire, it was too unsafe to send anybody in. The basement was fully involved, so was the first floor,” Chief Evans said. “And there was fire blowing out both second-floor windows whenever we got here.”
Chief Evans said there likely weren’t any fire stops (designed to restore fire-resistance ratings of wall and floor assemblies through fire-resistant materials, such as mineral fiber or silicone) in the older home and the fire quickly spread if the basement door was left open.
While firefighters were battling the fire, part of the first floor also collapsed into the basement.
Utilities were electric, but danger was also present since the house was heated by a kerosene tank.
The tank was determined to be half-full, and flames did not ignite the tank.
Chief Evans said the fire most-likely will be ruled accidental due to the electrical dryer.
Firefighters were on-scene about three hours due to numerous hotspots in the residence.
The women (who was said to be uninjured) stayed in a local hotel for the rest of the night and will be assisted by the American Red Cross and other charitable organizations.
Firefighters were alerted again about 6:30AM that the fire rekindled.
Local News | jweaver April 8, 2015
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By sbmworker, April 8, 2015 @ 7:51 PM
It is rather funny to see how Manor FD runs around with shirts that say “Go Home We Got It” and show up with just two fireman and not able to do anything with just two let alone being the last to arrive. Don’t be so arrogant! If all companies supported each other, would it be great! When you have one company feeling ‘superior’ and cannot even crew, they really need to get over themselves! Glad there were no tragedies and kudos to the companies who were equipped with FD members to handle this. You may want to change your theme Manor Twp. FD!
By dirty ratz, April 9, 2015 @ 4:46 PM
Sbmworker. Which department do you belong to? If Manor had 2 people oh well. God bless the two that did get out of bed and go for free. Has your department ever been short on people? Thank you to MTFD for helping no matter what this “sbumworker” has to say
By jester, April 9, 2015 @ 5:16 PM
I’m sure you could swing by the station and pick up an application anytime if your worried about their staffing step up. Before you or someone gets butt hurt I am not and have never been affiliated with MTVFC
By local410, April 10, 2015 @ 8:25 PM
Yeah, you know what. It is funny that our company showed up with only 2 member (5 actually) but anyways, it is a saying that is pathetic that you amoung others are so upset over. Every dept has has a problem staffing from time to time and I wonder why….maybe because we do need to work together and have our egos set aside. Seeing that there are around 13 departments in 5 square mile radius. You want to talk about working together, drop the borders and think about the community and resources that are spread out when a simple consolidation could fix that. But I’m sure u have the mentality of, oh I could never work with you guys. It’s a shirt buddy, go have some more secret meeting about it. No one is superior. Oh and my name is Luke Linnon, I can easily be reached, I’m not a hard person to find if you want to talk about it.
By local410, April 10, 2015 @ 8:26 PM
Oh and it’s Manor Twp Fire Company. You can get that right too
By tired of dumb people, April 12, 2015 @ 12:56 AM
Well said jester i to am not a manor twp firefighter but nobody got hurt no body died so Mr Evens and the other fire companies that showed up did there jobs and i bet sbmworker that there were more than 2 guys there from manor where do you get your information at. Why don’t you join and get out of bed at 2 am.How many meals have you missed or how many times have you gone to work with out sleep grow up man.
By tiredoftheBS, April 13, 2015 @ 5:00 PM
I do not have an affiliation with any of the fire departments but I am grateful for whomever gets out of bed, leaves a family meal or misses out on a holiday or birthday to respond VOLUNTARILY to whatever emergency there may be. sbmworker…… grind your ax somewhere else. No one that volunteers should be bashed like that. You think you can do better, I suggest you sign up!!
By Jane_PA, April 14, 2015 @ 2:37 PM
I’m really disappointed to read the bad comments about Manor Township Fire Company. It was my Aunt’s house that burned down. We are thankful to all the fire companies who came out to assist them. We are thankful that she and her granddaughter escaped. Anyone who helped that night no matter whether it was 1 or 100 deserves a ton of thanks for being called out at two in the morning. I know if it was your home that burned, you would be thankful for them, too.
By Glad not to be involved, April 14, 2015 @ 6:41 PM
All that sbmworker said was that there was one department that was arrogant. I’m originally from around the area and would be ashamed if a company was running around with that ‘slogan’. You all need to support each other! Nobody is better than the other. Why is everyone being so slanderous? All this person said was one company has a slogan stating they were “better” than the other. You all need each other! I used to live in this area and it is a disgrace if a company feels this way. I’m now in an area that is a paid company and we would never do this! Support and love each other! You are all brothers!