White Mills Hotel fire: Neighbors share video, eyewitness accounts
Neighbors to the historic White Mills Hotel awoke on a very rainy night in the wee hours of Wednesday, April 3, to the alarming sight of the landmark going up in flames.
Jody Rowe lives in the house directly behind the hotel on Elizabeth Street, where she has a hair salon. "I didn't hear the alarm, but I woke up and saw the reflection of the flames in the Dorflinger windows," she said, fearing the cut glass museum across from her was on fire. "I smelled smoke. I turned around and saw the hotel was up in flames."
She said she called 911 at 2:57 a.m.; it seemed the emergency Communications Center already knew about the fire. Rowe said that it appeared that the fire was rising from the front of the hotel, where the porch was. Quickly, flames reached the roof line. Within minutes, she said, the wooden building was engulfed. There was also sparking from the electrical service still hooked to the building, and a utility pole was on fire.
Related: Vacant White Mills Hotel burns down after conditional use granted for worker housing
She credited the firefighters for their efforts at containing the blaze; they watered down her house, and her garage between her house and the hotel. Rowe moved her car away as a precaution. As for the hotel, she added, "There was nothing they could do."
Andrew Martin lives on Evergreen Street, around the corner. He said he awoke to "a popping and cracking sound" and he thought with all the wind and rain, a tree was about to fall on the house. Instead, he saw the flames in front of the hotel with fire in the windows. He said he called 911 and started knocking on neighbors' doors. He also attempted to reach the Watson family, who have U-Haul rental trucks parked next door to the hotel.
He estimated that in 10 minutes, fire had reached the back of the hotel and "within a half hour" the building was leveled.
Martin added that the fire was so hot, the rainwater on his vehicles was starting to steam.
More: Passerby, first to call 911, describes how White Mills Hotel blaze progressed
The Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal Unit is investigating the fire, while stating that the cause and origin could not be determined due to the extent of the damage.
The property was recently purchased by Lake Region Development III, LLC to make nine affordable rental apartments principally for Settlers Hospitality workers.
Texas Township supervisors had granted conditional use approval on Monday evening, and by Wednesday morning the building was destroyed. Texas Township Supervisor Chairperson Daniel Weidner, expressing sorrow for what transpired with the fire, said that the applicant was set to go with the conditional use approval and only had to get a building permit.
Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: White Mills Hotel fire: Neighbors share video, eyewitness accounts
