Some clouds. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable..
Some clouds. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable.
Fire crews look over the scene of a large fire late Wednesday night in Shamokin Township.
Harry Dietz/For The Daily Item
Fire crews look over the scene of a large fire late Wednesday night in Shamokin Township.
Fire crews battle a blaze at a large fire late Wednesday night in Shamokin Township.
Fire crews look over the scene of a large fire late Wednesday night in Shamokin Township.
Harry Dietz/For The Daily Item
Fire crews look over the scene of a large fire late Wednesday night in Shamokin Township.
Fire crews battle a blaze at a large fire late Wednesday night in Shamokin Township.
PAXINOS — A controlled burn on Wednesday night spread to an 18,000-square-foot storage facility along Route 61, bringing out dozens of firefighters from Northumberland, Snyder and Montour counties.
Stonington Volunteer Fire Company Chief Kerry Yordy said owner Michael Scopelliti was burning outside when the wind changed direction and blew the fire into the pole barn, catching the wooden frame on fire. The tin-sided structure at 5963 Route 61 is a total loss, he said.
“We had to use 300,000 gallons of water to put it out,” said Yordy. “That’s a lot of water.”
Scopelliti recently purchased the building and has been using a portion of it to run his business, Coal Region Trailers, which builds trailers. A large portion of the building was empty, said Yordy.
The call came in at 9:45 p.m. Yordy said it was a second alarm for ladder trucks and engines and a third alarm for tankers; about 75 firefighters from three counties responded.
“When we got there on the scene, one end of the building was completely involved, and it had already started to collapse,” he said. “There was extreme heat. It was roaring pretty good.”
The building was back in a secluded area with a single-lane driveway that posed issues with getting the vehicles back to the area, said Yordy.
“We had it knocked down within 90 minutes,” he said. “There was one rekindle overnight. None today (Thursday).”
The state police fire marshall did not come to investigate because the cause and origin were known, said Yordy.
Scopelliti is insured. No one was injured, said Yordy.
Route 61 was closed for more than six hours Wednesday into Thursday as firefighters battled the blaze. Fire police shut down the highway to allow tanker trucks to pump and transport water to the scene of the fire during the response, according to reports on public 911 radio communications.
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox.
First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.