Pocono News Section

Brothers Lose Home, Pet in Fire

Brothers Lose Home, Pet in Fire - Thursday, May 21, 2009 at 5:25PM EST

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, MONROE COUNTY - Two men are homeless and one pet is dead after a fire in the Poconos. It started at about 12:30 Thursday afternoon at the home on Hamilton Road East in Hamilton Township.
The fire took everything brothers Steve and Scott Vanwhy own, including their cat, named Flashlight.

Chris Hessek was the first person to see the fire. He was driving by and noticed flames. He said, "The whole entire back porch - like a screened in back porch - was completely in flames." So he turned around and jumped out of his car to see if anyone was inside. He called 911 as he ran toward the burning building.

Scott Vanwhy was inside. He saw the man on the cell phone near his door and ran out. "Just as I got to the door - he started bolting out - he had no idea what was going on. I told him his whole house is on fire," recalled Hessek.

Scott said he tried to save Flashlight by breaking a bunch of windows and calling the cat's name - but it just got too hot and he had to turn around. He cried, "A cloud of big black smoke came in and I couldn't get back in."

Firefighters from four companies rushed to the house. As they pulled up, an empty oil tank exploded, Chief Leon Clapper said, "Actually it blew out and landed right in front of one of my trucks coming in." No one was hurt.

Volunteers battled the flames and thick smoke for nearly an hour but couldn't save the place. The landlord, Joe Caruso, said he's upset because he doesn't have insurance. He said, "I just fixed it all up - put Pella windows in it and everything."

Caruso plans to rebuild. The Vanwhy brothers aren't sure what they'll do next.

A State Police Fire Marshall will investigate what started the fire.