PENN TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Neighbors living in Blackthorne Estates in Penn Township are feeling uneasy after watching their neighbor’s home get destroyed by flames and smoke over the weekend. This is the second time a house has been destroyed by fire in this neighborhood, in under a year.
The development was built within the last 5 years.
”I live in the neighborhood actually, so I got there within 4 minutes or so. When I pulled up around the bend, all I can see was flames,” First Lt. Adam Polakovsky of Claridge Volunteer Fire Department said.
“Between the time 911 dispatched us and somebody was there, it had advanced that far,” Polakovsky said.
Within minutes what started as a garage fire had consumed the house. Fifteen minutes into the call — scorched framing was evident from the front.
First responders said the composite materials used in newly constructed homes can be a recipe for disaster.
”With the materials we use today and in the materials in our homes with modern amenities, there’s a lot more plastics and synthetics used in what we consume every day,” Polakovsky explained.
“Back in the day the legacy homes a lot of people lived in, you’d have 15-17 minutes to get out of them. Now that time’s cut down to 3-5 minutes,” Capt. Michael Nesbit said.
Their best piece of advice: be prepared in prevention.
”Just make sure you check your smoke alarms; they obviously helped in this situation. The family heard the alarm and they got out quick,” Nesbit said.
“Have a plan. Have a plan to talk it over with your kids, make notes of where things are in the house or keep them in one spot that you’d absolutely like to get. You don’t have any time to waste,” Polakovsky said.
There is a GoFundMe for the family who lost everything in the fire. You can click here to donate.
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