Fire guts North Strabane home
Fire destroyed this home at 42 Hatfield Lane in North Strabane Township Friday.
A firefighter from North Strabane Township walks outside 42 Hatfield Lane in the township, where a fire Friday destroyed the home.
A century-old house at 42 Hatfield Lane in North Strabane Township was destroyed by fire Friday.
The homeowners, Howard and Sue Vey, were on vacation when the fire broke out, North Strabane Township fire Chief Mark Grimm said.
A neighbor, Joey Bane, saw smoke billowing from the house and called 911 at 1:52 p.m.
North Strabane Township firefighters arrived minutes later, but Grimm estimated the fire was already burning for about 25 to 30 minutes, and the stone-and-wood home, which is more than 100 years old, was engulfed in flames. Smoke could be seen from miles away.
Efforts to extinguish the blaze were complicated because of the distance of the house from the road. The house sits off an alley near the top of a hill, approximately 3,000 feet from the road, Grimm said,
“The biggest challenge was maintaining good water pressure because of the distance from the road and the elevation,” Grimm added.
He said three cats likely perished in the fire.
Assisting at the scene were firefighters from Chartiers, Peters Township, South Strabane and Washington.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the state police fire marshal.