A North Codorus Township house fire killed one dog and has temporarily displaced a family of three.
Crews were called to a home on Myers Road, just off Stoverstown Road, about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 5, according to North Codorus Township Fire Chief Tim Carr.
A married couple and their adult son weren't home when the fire started, he said. The husband called for help after coming home from work.
Thick smoke billowed out at him when he opened his door, according to the chief.
"At that point he closed the door and called 911," Carr said.
After summoning help, the man went inside and retrieved one of two family dogs, which had already died of smoke inhalation, Carr said.
"The second dog had gotten out through a doggy door and was barking" when the man came home, according to Carr.
The fire had been burning for some time and had created a large amount of smoke, he said. It had not yet broken through the home's walls, according to the chief, who said the fire was contained inside the walls due to a lack of oxygen.
Heavy smoke damage: Firefighters ripped down some drywall and discovered flames between the home's foyer and the basement, according to Carr. At that point the fire was extinguished quickly, he said.
The two-story home sustained heavy heat and smoke damage to the first floor, the chief said; he had not yet determined a damage estimate.
"Structurally, the house is still intact," Carr said. "The residents aren't going to be living there (because) some minor restoration will have to be done."
The chief said he's still investigating to determine the fire's cause, but he said everything he's seen leads him to believe it was an electrical fire, likely from malfunctioning wires.
Assisting North Codorus Township firefighters at the scene were crews from Spring Grove, Nashville, Jefferson, Porters and New Salem, Carr said.