Mechanical Failure Blamed For Williamsport Fire
WILLIAMSPORT, Md. (AP) -- Maryland fire officials are blaming a mechanical failure for a fire that caused an estimated half-million dollars in damage to a downtown Williamsport building.
The state fire marshal's office says the five-alarm fire was reported Monday morning in an outbuilding that housed an oil-burning furnace at the former Wolfe's on the Square building.
Kevin Lewis, director of the Washington County Emergency Services, tells the Herald-Mail of Hagerstown that no residents or firefighters were injured. But one firefighter did fall and become entangled in wires, prompting a "mayday" distress call.
Joan Knode, a town councilmember and historian, says the building dates back to the Civil War. She called the building "a piece of history."
------
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
