LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. – A 56-year-old woman, of New York, is dead and fifteen people are displaced after a Tuesday evening house fire.
A West Hempfield Township Police Department report explained that due to the severity of the burns, immediate positive identification could not be made. Debra Durant was under the care of family members and perished in the fire.
Firefighters responded at about 7:10 p.m. to a fire in an apartment house at 937 Mary St., Mount Joy. Initial reports indicated a residence with three separate apartments were on fire and an elderly woman was possibly trapped.
Additional fire crews were summoned to battle the blaze. The heavy smoke and fire forced firefighters to battle the blaze from the exterior only.
The Red Cross is assisting 7 adults and 8 children that were displaced by the fire.
The cause is being determined by a State Police Fire Marshal.
The fire caused over $200,000 in damage.
