Pocono News Section

Family Victim of Two Fires

Family Victim of Two Fires - Wednesday, October 29, 2008 at 5:10PM EST

Reported by: Kyla Campbell
Wednesday, Oct 29, 2008 @ 05:10pm EST

JENKINS TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY -- Tuesday night marked the second time John and Kimberly Spak watched their house go up in flames.

"I couldn't believe it," said Renee Roxby, a neighbor. "The flames were higher than the wires. It was horrendous."

Several neighbors stood by on Wednesday, looking at the aftermath along South Main Street.

"I really feel bad for the family," said Mary Kilhwney, another neighbor. "Halloween is on Friday, then you've got Thanksgiving and Christmas."

But losing their home so close to the holidays isn't the most devastating situation the Spak family has faced. In January of 2000, their home on Reese Street in Wilkes-Barre caught fire. Their oldest son, John Henry Evans, died in that fire.

No one was home when the fire broke out just before 5pm Tuesday night. Neighbors say the Spaks, two of their children, and two granchildren live at the house.

It took all of the Pittston-area fire departments to get the flames under control in the wintry and windy conditions. Fire officials say the family's oil furnace was broken, and they were using space heaters to heat the home. While firefighters couldn't pinpoint the cause immediately, they don't believe it's suspicious. A state police fire marshal was called in to determine the cause.