An early morning fire tore through 3 homes in Hanover in York County. 18 people are now without a home… including 8 children. Firefighters say they got the fire under control in 20 minutes. But that was enough time to do serious damage. Melissa Early’s home was badly damaged. She says “it’s horrifying to see something, your home just up in flames and you can’t do anything. You just stand there and watch it. You don’t know what to do.”
The fire broke out around 1AM Tuesday in the 400 block of High Street. The state police fire marshal is investigating the cause. But authorities say it appears to be accidental. 3 homes were destroyed but no one was hurt. The Red Cross is helping to care for the 18 people displaced including the 8 children. One as young as 4 years old. Alix Shrader works for the American Red Cross. She said “for any family this type of situation is devastating of course. When children are involved it’s a little bit harder because they don’t understand what’s going on. What to do next. They don’t have what they used to have. They don’t have the toys and the things that are comforting to them.”
But Melissa Early is still expects to have a good Thanksgiving. She says “a very good one, a very thankful one. Not for the food but for our lives and our family. That means more to me than anything.” Firefighters also rescued some dogs, cats and bird from the fire. Early says taht despite no one being hurt she’s lost decades of memories.
Text REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief.