News

Elderly couple left homeless following Woodward Township blaze

Upon returning home Friday afternoon after having a knee replacement, Patricia Schenck -- along with husband Charlie and daughter Judy Shaffer -- arrived to find heavy smoke pouring from the couple's two-story house at 1656 Queneshaque Road.

Using her cellphone, Shaffer, a city resident, called 911 to report the blaze about 3:15 p.m., neighbor Debbie Ritter said she was told.

Mrs. Schenck said her daughter was bringing her home from the hospital at the time. The daughter opened one of the house doors, allowing the couple's cat, Rosie, to escape the burning home, Mrs. Schenck said.

"There was so much smoke, you couldn't even see the house," Ritter said.

En route to the Woodward Township blaze, firefighters were told there was a fire in the basement and that it was spreading to the upper floors.

A neighbor had reported that it was unknown to them at the time if anyone was inside.

Besides Woodward, firefighters from the city, Old Lycoming, South Williamsport, DuBoistown, Nisbet, Jersey Shore, Hepburn, Loyalsock, Antes Fort and Montoursville were among the fire companies called to the scene.

There were no reports of injuries, and most of the fire was knocked down just before 4 p.m.

The local chapter of the American Red Cross was offering emergency service to the elderly couple, and Ritter said neighbors were going to do all they could to help the Schencks. A state police fire marshal will assist with the investigation, township Fire Chief Richard Whalen said, adding that the home was a total loss.

Schenck is a retired welder at the former Anchor Darling Valve Company in Williamsport.

Ritter said the couple's home was the site of the former one-room schoolhouse, the Limber Bridge School. "My dad, Carl Gray, and other relatives attended the school, she said.

Volunteer firefighters were back at the Schenck's home about 1 a.m. Saturday when the fire reignited, Whalen confirmed.

Although the home was already a total loss from the first fire., the second blaze -- discovered by a passerby -- was much more intense, Whalen said.

"I could see an orange glow in the sky a half a mile away," he said, adding that when he pulled up on the scene, "flames were shooting out of windows and were already through the roof."

The first fire originated in the basement and spread to one room on the first floor, Whalen said. However, there was extensive heat, smoke and water damage throughout the house.

The second fire destroyed the roof and both the first and second floor, Whalen said. "Everything collapsed into the first floor," he added.

As with the first fire, nearly a dozen volunteer fire companies joined forces with Woodward Township to fight the second. There were no reports of injuries. It took about two hours for firefighters to bring the second fire under control

"We don't know why the second fire started or where. It's very upsetting," Whalen said.

Trooper Nathan Birth, a state police fire marshal, was expected to visit the scene Monday and try to determine the cause.