TAMAQUA, Pa. -- A fire broke out over the weekend at a Salvation Army branch in Schuylkill County. Although the damage could've been worse, a lot was lost.
Donated clothes that are burned to a crisp and soot on the floor are what remains inside the Salvation Army in Tamaqua after a fire around 10 a.m. Sunday.
"It is very frustrating because we start and we're like, 'OK, we see a small pile of stuff we collected and then we see it grow.' Then we're like, 'OK, awesome, we have all this that we can give back,' and then it's gone," said program facilitator Melissa Latham.
The fire was only in a back storage room and didn't spread, resulting in only minor damage, but a lot was still lost, including clothes, food, and school supplies for the youth.
"Tamaqua really comes together when there's a situation that happens. Unfortunately, it was a bad situation that happened, but the good from Tamaqua has made us all smile and even tear up a little bit because Tamaqua has heart. They come out and help us and get us back on our feet," Latham said.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
"It helps out a lot of people. A couple of times, we came in and they said to be here on that day for food and we were out the door and about 20 feet down that sidewalk. They were really helping a lot of people, helping an extreme amount of people," said Edward Shepherd.
Donations can still be dropped off and events will go on as scheduled.