Debris lays scattered across a Freedom Township property on Thursday after an early-morning fire destroyed three mobile homes and two vehicles before ending as a brush fire on the hill behind the homes. Mirror photo by Rachel Foor
EAST FREEDOM — A Freedom Township family has been left homeless after a fire broke out early Wednesday morning, destroying three mobile homes, including the home the family was moving out of and the home into which they were moving.
The Freedom Township Volunteer Fire Company arrived at the scene just off Chevrolet Drive about 4:15 am and were soon joined by multiple Blair County fire departments to fight the blaze, Freedom Township Deputy Fire Chief Tim James said.
It took about 45 minutes for the fire to be brought under control, he said, with it ending as a brush fire that went over a hill into Clark’s Auto Salvage, destroying two vehicles.
The fire marshal, along with Altoona’s fire dog Lucille, inspected the scene, and officials ruled the fire an accident, James said.
“They didn’t completely extinguish something from the night before,” James said, explaining that the residents who lived there were burning something outside. “It must have reignited.”
The family — two adults and one child — lost everything, he said.
The Red Cross has been called to assist the family.
In addition to the response by Blair County’s fire departments, Bedford and Cambria County fire departments were on standby to assist the Blair companies.
Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor is at 814-946-7458.
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