CARLISLE: Seven residents of two apartments in downtown Carlisle were forced to relocate for the holidays after a Christmas Eve fire severely damaged the building Tuesday night.
Responding firefighters, however, were commended for putting out the fire at the back of 335 N. Hanover St. quickly enough to prevent it from spreading to nearby residences on either side.
Crews were on the scene past 11 p.m. to board up the damaged property and check for possible hot spots, but overall, the fire was contained in about 20 minutes, according to Cumberland County spokesman Mike Snyder.
After some anonymous bystanders informed them of the fire, all occupants of the two impacted apartments who were present at the time were able to safely evacuate the building. Although a neighbor was treated on the spot for a minor leg injury after falling while leaving her house, neither firefighters nor occupants were hurt.
About 9:17 p.m., neighbors and bystanders noticed the fire.
That was a bit too near for Gail Yeagle, the neighbor next door, and her daughter, Kate.
Gail claimed she was in a bedroom at the back of her house talking to her daughter when they spotted an odd color outside and realized there was a fire. She and her husband live on the north side of the apartment complex.
There was an orange glow as I sat on the bed with my back to the windows. And even though it sounded like it was raining, I thought, “That’s strange.” Then I said, “That’s a fire,” as I peered out the window. Kate Yeagle said, “And I could feel the heat on the window.”
They ran away right away.
Gail Yeagle remarked, “I saw the entire back end of that house on fire when I ran out the back door first.”
They were thankful for the efforts of the arriving firefighters, who had to attack the fire from an alley to the back of the building, and were ultimately relieved to hear that their property was preserved. Late Tuesday night, the Yeagle family was able to return to their house.
Kate Yeagle remarked, “They were so fast.” The flames seemed to burn out about five minutes after they turned on the hoses. It felt like that, but I’m not sure if that was the real time.
According to Snyder, the American Red Cross Cumberland County Chapter is helping the impacted tenants.
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!