NORTHUMBERLAND, Pa. — Several homes went up in flames early Wednesday morning in Northumberland County.
It happened just before 2 a.m. at a home along Wheatley Avenue in Northumberland Borough.
Flames had already taken down part of the home in Northumberland by the time Newswatch 16 arrived on Wednesday.
The other half didn't stay standing much longer.
Less than a half-hour later, as more than 20 people who live on this block looked on, the rest of the duplex collapsed.
Jonathan Bosserman only had one thought on his mind. "I'm alive, that's all that matters."
His home on Wheatley Avenue was also destroyed.
The fire spread from the building next door.
"I woke up to the alarms going off, hearing my neighbor run up and down the street yelling, walk out of my room and see smoke," added Bosserman. "Went downstairs to see what it was, turned around to get my phone and the whole second floor was full of smoke."
Everyone made it out okay – fifteen adults, seven kids, and one infant all living in these three duplexes.
"When they arrived, they found heavy fire in the front and in the rear of the two center structures. We had a collapse of the center structure, as you can see. No one was injured, so we're very thankful for that," said Northumberland Fire Chief Brian Ginck.
A woman who lived in this home with her three kids says her seven-year-old daughter was the only one awake when the fire broke out. The little girl woke her parents up. Her mom says she usually gives her melatonin to sleep, but for some reason, she didn't last night.
"Scary, but everyone's out. That's the important part," said Bosserman.
The Red Cross was there to help people with a place to stay.
Fire officials don't know how the fire started. The state police fire marshal is investigating.
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