A State Police Fire Marshal rules human erorr as the cause of a massive fire that destroys apartment in Ephrata Borough, Lancaster County. A maintenance worker was working on the gas line early this morning caused a huge gas explosion that ripped the building apart from the inside.
Fire officials say 22 people in total are homeless for the night. It started around 10 a-m and quickly progressed to a 3 alarm fire. At least 15 fire crews were called out.
The Fire Chief says that the maintenance worker had minor burns from the explosion but he is okay. The worker plugged the wrong end of a gas line which causing the gas to build up. When the worker lit the pilot light on the furnace it ignited an explosion.
A fire police officer had a medical emergency that was unrelated and passed out here on the street earlier he was taken to the hospital. The fire caused half a million dollars in damage and left 22 people homeless.