By Patrick Cooley
FINDLEY TOWNSHIP — Two days after Christmas, a two-story house in Findley Township burned to the ground in the early morning hours, leaving a family homeless.
Nine local departments spent more than five hours battling the blaze that engulfed the house at 348 Hartwick Road.
No one was injured in the fire Sunday at the home of Matthew and Dana Shealy, who lived there with their children Mitchell and Mattilynn.
A Mercer County 911 dispatcher said the first call came in at 12:19 a.m. and firefighters didn’t leave the scene until after 5 a.m.
Bill Finley Sr., the assistant chief of the East End Fire Department said the house was a “100 percent loss.”
Hours after the fire was put out, the only parts of the home still standing were an attached garage and addition on the south side. All that remained of the center section was the foundation.
“In the end, we had to bring in a piece of equipment to move (the debris) it was a total collapse,” Finley said.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated by the Pennsylvania fire marshal’s office, but East End Chief Bill Finley Jr. said it was most likely accidental.
He said the family was insured.
Fire trucks had to return to the scene on Sunday afternoon after some debris rekindled, but the chief said it wasn’t serious.
Including East End, Pine Township, Fredonia, Harrisville, Stoneboro, Jefferson Township, Grove City and Jackson Center departments responded to the fire, and Springfield Township firefighters were on standby.
Neighbors said that the family is staying at Mrs. Shealy’s mother’s house for the next few days and are looking for another place to stay.
The Shealys, who were at the scene Sunday afternoon, declined to comment.
