CECIL TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A fire in Cecil Township that destroyed five townhomes and damaged 11 others was sparked by “careless smoking,” according to state police.
The fire raged from home to home on May 31 in Georgetown Estates, a townhouse community.
PHOTOS: At least 4 townhouses catch fire in Cecil Township
It started in a garage around 4 p.m. that day, and neighbors rushed to save people.
The aftermath was devastating.
Nearly five months later state police fire marshalls have completed their investigation, telling Channel 11 exclusively it was “careless smoking” that started the fire. The cause was ruled an accident and no charges will be filed.
“It’s sad, I feel bad for all the families impacted and all the downstream effects,” neighbor Brad Stombaugh said.
The fire left multiple families homeless and left neighbors with fears about how quickly the fire spread, questioning whether the townhomes had firewalls. The fire marshall confirmed to Channel 11 the homes do have firewalls.
At the time of the fire, the chief had said the fire traveled through the attics. The damaged homes are a reminder of that danger every day for Stombaugh.
“I have an almost 2-year-old, and she’s napping now at home, yeah it is pretty scary,” Stombaugh said.
Neighbors we spoke to on and off camera talked about how this community has supported the fire victims.
“We did a spaghetti drive and we were there to support, we bought our tickets and raffle tickets to help any way we can,” one neighbor said.
The state police investigation is completed and the report is now in the hands of the insurance companies.
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