Pocono News Section

Neighborhood Fear Realized After Fire Hits Vacant Home

Neighborhood Fear Realized After Fire Hits Vacant Home - Wednesday, June 2, 2010 at 04:02AM EST

Reported by: Mark Hiller
Wednesday June 02 2010

PLYMOUTH, LUZERNE COUNTY - Smoke and flames consumed a double block home at 78 and 80 High Street in Plymouth.

Firefighters rushed to the scene after getting a call Wednesday morning around 3:30 from an alert neighbor. Sherry Kochinski woke up to the sound of the vacant building burning. "It sounded like raining a little bit, but it was crackin', crackin', said Mrs. Kochinski. "So I looked out the back and the whole back was all lit up."

She called 9-1-1 and with her husband, Ron, briefly evacuated the home and stayed with another family member on the same street until it was safe to return.

Fire crews faced several obstacles dealing with this fire in Plymouth. First of all this house is on a narrow one-lane road making it very congested. And the rear of the property is located on a hill making for a very difficult fire fight.

Crews also had to deal with electricity which wasn't cut until about 2 and a half hours into the fire fight. It was an added concern for firefighters who were already struggling on the second floor. "You have structural damage to the house. You have weakening of the floors and everything else," said Plymouth Fire Chief Jerry Bolesta.

The now-gutted house had been up for sale but the Kochinskis aren't surprised there were no takers given what they saw realtors wearing. "They had face masks on. There was birds in there," she said.

That only increased a neighborhood concern about the fate of the house. When asked if she ever feared something like this might happen, she replied, "In the summertime there was a water break in there. Yeah, I guess a few people thought there would be a fire."

The Kochinski home sustained some heat and smoke damage. Mrs. Kochinski is just thankful this fire didn't end in tragedy, saying "God must have woke me up because it could have been worse."

A state police fire marshal is heading the investigation into a cause. A code enforcement officer is expected to condemn the building and likely have it demolished.