SHAMOKIN, Pa. — One person is dead, and one was taken to a hospital after a fire in Northumberland County.
Firefighters say two people were trapped inside the house when the fire started. A man was able to get out, but the woman died on the way to the hospital.
The fire started around 12:30 p.m. Thursday at 112 Birch Street in Shamokin. Firefighters believe it started on the second floor of the house and spread to four other homes.
It took firefighters about an hour and a half to get under control.
Firefighters faced challenges while putting out smoke and flames. The chief tells Newswatch 16 that this is one of the narrowest streets in Shamokin, so it was not easy getting fire vehicles to the scene.
Most of the homes on this block are connected to the fire spread fast.
The chief says the house where the fire started was not fit to live in, and Shamokin code enforcement was aware of that.
"The posting on it allows them to come in and work on it during the day, but they can't stay here. We're not sure exactly what the residency was, if they were here staying or if they were here working on the house. We don't know that yet," said Shamokin Fire Chief Stephen Jeffery.
A state police fire marshal will try to determine the cause.
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