By Tricia Pursell and Rick Dandes
DORNSIFE — A family of eight was left homeless Friday after a fire destroyed its remote two-story home in Little Mahanoy Township, Northumberland County.
Firefighters from at least 11 Valley departments responded to the morning fire in which no one was reported injured, but a fire company sustained $3,000 in damage to its equipment.
Todd and Nadine Myers and their six children, ages 16 to 2, were not home when the blaze began. Todd was at work and Nadine had a doctor’s appointment and went shopping afterwards, said Todd’s mother, Janet Myers.
The family will be staying with friends and relatives, Janet Myers said.
Firefighters from Herndon arrived first, at 10:40 a.m., and were among volunteers to battle the blaze on Dornsife Mountain Road for four hours.
The home is a total loss, said Herndon Fire Chief Tony Gilligan. He could not estimate the cost of damage, but said houses in the area are worth about $120,000.
A Coal Township firefighter said the fire was fully involved when his company arrived on the scene about 15 minutes after receiving the call. He also confirmed that three rabbits, housed in a hutch outside of the home, survived the blaze.
“He (Myers) was doing a lot of remodeling. He was really making it look nice,” said a neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous.
The Herndon Fire Department sustained about $3,000 in damage to its fire engine and equipment, Gilligan said. The windshield on its fire engine cracked from the heat of the nearby flames. A fire hose was also severely damaged.
“Despite all that, we’re still in service,” Gilligan said.
A fire marshal is expected to investigate the site Monday.
The American Red Cross has been notified of the family’s plight.
Firefighters from Trevorton, Dalmatia, Hickory Corners, Coal Township, Shamokin, Sunbury, Lower Augusta Township, Elysburg, Overlook and Stonington assisted the Herndon company.
n E-mail comments to tpursell@dailyitem.com or rdandes@dailyitem.com
