Central Pa. apartment building fire kills 1 person, pets: reports

From LNP, Lancaster, Pa. (TNS)

A fire broke out at an apartment complex in Lancaster Township on Saturday afternoon, with crews from several companies fighting the blaze.

The Lancaster County coroner’s office, when asked whether they had sent someone to the scene, declined comment. An assistant fire chief on the scene told WGAL that one man died in the fire.

More than 40 firefighters responded to the fire at Kensington Club Apartments, which was initially called in at around 4:39 p.m., per Lancaster County-Wide Communications.

The fire was on Wyncroft Lane, which has eight apartment units, five of which were damaged by the fire, which left the building uninhabitable. The complex is less than a mile from Hamilton Elementary School.

The Lancaster Township Fire Department stated in a Facebook post that the majority of the flames were knocked down by 5 p.m. but continued to smolder for another hour. Units remained on the scene until 9 p.m.

A dog and a cat also died in the fire. The Red Cross was on the scene, assisting more than 22 displaced residents.

Late Saturday night, the building was illuminated with a large portable light, and was roped off as a fire scene. The doors of the apartments were covered with large sheets of plywood. People were examining the building and debris in the yard in front with flashlights.