DUNMORE -- Flames tore through a home in Lackawanna County.
Flames and smoke were shooting through the roof of the garage at this home on Tiffany Drive in Dunmore around 10 a.m. Thursday.
The fire burned for about five hours. Despite that and the intense heat and humidity, firefighters tell us no one was seriously hurt. They also said fighting this fire was exhausting and required a lot of help.
Flames shooting from the roof of the home increased the already hot air temperature by a few hundred degrees.
Firefighters from several departments in Lackawanna County fought it for hours.
Dunmore fire officials say they believe it started in the garage, moved up to the roof, and then across the entire home.
"The different voids in the roof space is preventing us from gaining access to the fire which is why it's taking so long to extinguish this fire," said Capt. Greg Wolff, Dunmore Fire Department. "Along with, obviously, the weather, the crews are really getting beat up pretty good, so that's what's taking so long."
Firefighters were forced to take breaks as the flames raged on.
"It's unbearable at times. It just, as soon as the heat hits you, you start sweating instantly," said Lt. Marty Hrinko, Dickson City Fire Department.
The American Red Cross came in with lots of water and food so that the firefighters could keep going. Each department took turns rotating in and EMS officials say, except for some minor cases of heat exhaustion, no one was hurt.
"If you don't rotate, you'll just beat yourself up completely," said Hrinko.
Dunmore police officers say a maid was the only person home at the time. She and five dogs made it out safely before the fire was out of control.
Getting it under control would take the efforts of dozens of firefighters.
"Yeah, that's really the reason we have as many people here as we do, just because crews are getting so exhausted from the heat and everything like that," said Wolff.
The Dunmore Fire Department says its fire marshals will investigate what caused this fire.