JERSEY SHORE — No one was injured, but a two-alarm fire Sunday morning destroyed the home of Ethan Crist and his landscaping business, Cutting Edge, at 281 River Road, just outside the borough. .
The smoke drifted east for several miles, and some residents in the city’s Newbury neighborhood said they could even smell it.
Cristo, who lives alone, was not home when the fire was reported around 7:10 a.m.
While living upstairs, Cristo kept many of his trucks and some equipment on the first floor.
Family members living nearby rushed to the scene. There were moments when she was so distraught that she was unable to reach her mother and feared Crist was trapped inside, Lycoming Regional Police Sgt. Brian Fioretti.
However, Fioretti said she was told that Cristo did not have a cell phone. Crist was driving his family’s skid steer down Main Street (which becomes River Road at the border of the borough and Porter Township) when he saw the fire. A neighbor across the street had already reported the incident. He immediately went to his grandparents’ house, which is next door to his home, and called 911 to report that he was not home and was safe.
Citizens Horse Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Mitchell led the operation.
Firefighters were initially able to conduct an inside attack; “But they were pushed out by the fire.” Within 10 minutes, he said. Mitchell said the second floor began to collapse shortly after firefighters left the property. Mitchell said Chris’ office, two SUVs, a dump truck and an ATV were on the first floor.
Firefighters used water from one hydrant on River Road across the driveway and a second hydrant on Main Street in the borough. Mitchell estimated firefighters extinguished the fire with more than 10,000 gallons of water.
The fire was declared under control around 8:40 a.m. “Fully equipped with fire insurance” Both in business and at home, Mitchell said. In addition to the borough’s two fire companies, firefighters from Antesfort, Nippenose Valley, Woodward Township, Waterville, Montoursville, Avis, Wayne Township, Woolrich, Lock Haven and Castanea responded.
The state police fire marshal will assist in the investigation into the origin and cause of the fire. Two recent fires in the area were determined to be accidental. Loyalsock Township fire officials say the fire that caused extensive damage to a home and left a family of four homeless at 2078 Northway Road Extension on March 7 started near a power tap in a bedroom. He said it was electrical in nature. The two-alarm fire that destroyed a garage on Stroble Lane in Bastress Township on March 22 started from a nearby burner barrel and spread first to the grass and then to the building. Officials said this was due to.
