Pocono News Section

Firefighters Battle Flames & Weather in Mt. Carmel

Firefighters Battle Flames & Weather in Mt. Carmel - Friday, January 16, 2009 at 11:00AM EST

MT. CARMEL, NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY- Flames ripped through four row homes on Spruce Street in Mount Carmel Thursday evening -- and destroyed at least two of them.

Fire victim Bernice Hamulla said, "We were watching TV and the doorbell rang. And the neighbor told us their mom's house was on fire. And in that time, smoke filled my house on all the floors."

Fire crews say her home has smoke and water damage. She tells us she moved back to her hometown to retire 6 years ago. "You make sure your chimney is clean and your furnace is clean every year, and then something like this happens. I'm just speechless, I'm numb, I haven't slept," she said.

Neighbors couldn't believe a fire hit so close to home. Neighbor Cecilia Sabadge said, "I heard a lot of commotion out front there, my car was parked on the corner, but when I got there it was mostly smoke coming out."

Firefighters battled the flames and sub-zero wind chills since 9:00 Thursday night. Some were on the scene until daylight Friday. Four of them were hurt. Three fell on ice, and another suffered from smoke inhalation. Mount Carmel Fire Chief Jack Williams says all of them are doing fine.

The cold weather also caused hoses, ladders and other equipment to freeze over.

The fire chief also says it appears two of the four homes weren't lived in -- and five people total were displaced by the fire. There’s no word on the cause just yet.