Firefighters in the area battled the cold and flames on Sunday as they fought a fire that destroyed a Royalton home.
According to Middletown Volunteer Fire Department Chief Kenny Whitebread, crews were summoned to Juniata Street in the borough, a small municipality next to Middletown, shortly before nine in the morning for a suspected kitchen fire.
When trucks got there, they discovered that the fire had quickly spread throughout the house, which Whitebread ascribed to the structure’s age and the winds on Sunday. He claimed that the low temperatures made the task more difficult, causing lines to ice up and one fire hydrant to be found frozen shut.
About 60 firefighters from several agencies were involved in the incident, which was brought under control in an hour. According to Whitebread, teams remained on the scene for more than two and a half hours to put out every last ember.
According to Whitebread, an investigation will determine whether the homeowner’s cooking at the time was the cause of the incident.
According to Whitebread, the house itself is anticipated to be a complete loss, however the homeowner was unhurt and one firefighter was burned but received on-scene treatment.
Stories by
Zack Hoopes
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!