EXETER >> A family of four escaped a destructive house fire Wednesday morning as first responders struggled through piles of snow to get to the home.
At around 8:25 a.m., Exeter Police and Fire Department were called to 98 W. Neversink Road for a reported structure fire. The fire had been called in by an off-duty Reading city firefighter who approached the fire on foot with Exeter Police Officer Greg Davis to make sure no one was in the home, according to a release from Exeter Police.
At the time, the garage of the home had been fully engulfed in flames and was spreading to the attached residence.
The owner of the home, Janet White, 58, and her daughter Lakia Bunch, 30, managed to make it out of the home with Bunch’s 8-year-old son and 5-week-old baby, police said. The doors on the home had been locked with double- key deadbolts and the residents did not know where the keys were. Unable to get out on the first floor of the home, the family made their way upstairs to jump out a second floor window. They then slid down a roof into the snow. The family then ran to a neighbor’s house for help, according to police.
No one else was inside the home at the time of the fire.
The family was treated by Exeter Fire EMS. First responders said that no one in the family sustained any serious injuries but that the 5-week-old may require additional evaluation for smoke inhalation.
As the fire spread, the family’s dog would not leave the area near the home. When authorities approached the dog, it got aggressive and had to be controlled and led down the hill by police using a dog snare pole.
The dog sustained burns to its back as well as cuts and burns to its left side, and was turned over to and treated by staff from the Animal Rescue League, police said.
Authorities said the fire may have started in the garage of the home where the family dog stayed.
Police said the heavy snow on the driveway made it impossible for first responders to get vehicles close to the home. Exeter firefighters had to run heavy hoses up the hill in order to get water on the fire. It was placed under control and firefighters were able to keep the blaze from spreading to nearby woods. The home, however, was completely destroyed.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by Exeter Township Fire Marshal David Bentz.
Bentz reminded residents to avoid double-key deadbolt locks and to leave the interior key in the lock whenever you are home if you do have one.
