SUNBURY — A malfunctioning heater was to blame for a fire that gutted a Sunbury apartment and damaged three others Thursday night.
Fire crews were called to 216-218 Spruce Street at approximately 6:30 p.m. by a commercial-grade fire alarm. As they arrived on scene, smoke poured from the home, according to Sunbury Fire Chief Dean Weirich.
“One of my assistant chiefs was the first on scene and there wasn’t much showing,” Weirich said. “After he turned around and put his gear on, the smoke just started pouring out from the home.”
Crews made their way to the second floor of the structure, cutting holes in the attic and venting the blaze. The flames were stubborn at times, appearing from under one corner of the peak of the roof, and then on the other side, before being brought under control.
Weirich said the blaze started in a laundry room in a second floor rear apartment. A fire marshal was on scene Thursday night, and reported the matter was accidental and the cause was a malfunctioning oil-filled space heater.
Firefighters not only battled flames, but also below-freezing temperatures as the mercury dipped into the teens. At one point, The Sunbury Street Department was called in to spread ashes and road salt so firefighters would not slip on the road made slick by water from the fire hoses.
“The cold temperatures never makes our job easy and the wind doesn’t help either,” Weirich said. “Once we got it under control, we started doing a thorough job of mopping up and checking for hot spots so we don’t have to come back again.”
In order to keep flames from spreading, water was sprayed down walkways between the double home and buildings on either side, saving the neighboring homes from damage.
Firefighters worked for approximately two hours to extinguish the blaze before getting it under control at 8:30 p.m.
Officials did not name the occupants of the upper floor apartments, but said the apartment at 216 1/2 Spruce St., where the fire started, suffered the most damage, while 218 1/2 Spruce St. also sustained fire damage. The lower floor apartments sustained smoke and water damage. The building is owned by Carol Grote, who is insured for the loss. Weirich reported that Andrew Gavison, occupant of 218 Spruce St., had renter’s insurance, while Elizabeth Ulrich, occupant of 216 Spruce St., did not.
Responding to the scene were all Sunbury Fire apparatus and crews from Upper Augusta Township, Northumberland Hook and Ladder Truck, Shamokin Dam, Point Township and Tuckerhoe.
The American Red Cross was also on hand to assist the victims of the blaze.