Firefighters had to battle a smoky fire at a Cook Township house Sunday while being careful as ammunition in the house was exploding, a fire official said.
There were no injuries from the fire along Hoods Mill Road off Route 130, said Chestnut Ridge Fire Chief Shawn Kestner.
The owner, Larry Lohr, was on the property when the fire started, but not in the house, said his son, Alan Lohr of Verona.
The house was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived on the scene, Kestner said, and no firefighters went into the structure. The fire, in a rural area of Cook, was reported at 2:15 p.m.
With ammunition exploding inside the house, “we didn’t know what was inside,” Kestner said.
Firefighters used water from multiple tanker trucks and tapped into a stream running along Hoods Mill Road.
Chestnut Ridge firefighters were assisted by multiple units from the Ligonier area, Mt. Pleasant Township and Youngstown, Kestner said.
The cause of the fire was not known, Kestner said.
The chief said he contacted the American Red Cross to assist the homeowner.
Alan Lohr said his 73-year-old father will be able to stay with family in the Greensburg. Another building on the property is used for storage, but not as a residence, Alan Lohr said.
Alan Lohr said he has created a GoFundMe page to raise money for his father, who did not have insurance on the property to cover the loss. All donations will be used to puchase food, clothing and all other necessities. He is seeking to raise $15,000 with the fundraising social media effort gofundme.com/f/help-larry-lohr-after-losing-his-home
“He left with only the clothes he was wearing,” Alan Lohr said.
