Williamsport kitchen fire displaces family of five

PHOTO PROVIDED Firefighters use an exhaust fan to clear smoke from 634 Sixth Ave. late Saturday afternoon after a kitchen fire broke out in the home. No one was injured, but a family of five was displaced.
A family of five was temporarily displaced when a kitchen fire broke out late Saturday afternoon in their home at 634 Sixth Ave., according to city fire Lt. Jonathan Hunsinger.
Firefighters responded about 5:30 p.m. after the next door neighbor heard an alarm going off inside 634 and also smelled smoke, Hunsinger said. No one was in the house at the time, he added.
Nothing was showing when firefighters arrived on the scene, but as soon as they entered the house, “there was heavy smoke from floor to ceiling,” Hunsinger said.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, which was in the kitchen, with one hose, he said. One wall had to be opened up to make sure the fire had not extended, he added.
The local chapter of the American Red Cross was assisting the displaced tenants. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Hunsinger said.
During the fire, four off-duty firefighters were called to headquarters on Walnut Street to handle other emergency calls, Hunsinger said.