Family escapes Peters Township house fire safely

PETERS TOWNSHIP - A sleeping family was awoken by their dog barking, alerting them their house was on fire just after 1 a.m. Thursday, according to Dale Carbaugh, fire chief at MMP&W Volunteer Fire Company.

The family, including a man and two girls, and possibly a woman, escaped safely and without injury from their home, at 3874 Mercersburg Road, Carbaugh said.

Firefighters arrived on the scene to find flames going up the exterior of the northeast corner of the two-story home in the village of Marks, Carbaugh said. The flames had spread to the house from a nearby burn pit, he said.

Moderate damage was contained to the kitchen area of the house.

Other parts of the house did sustain some smoke damage, but Carbaugh said the family will continue to live there.

In addition to MMP&W, crews from St. Thomas, Greencastle and Marion fire departments, and Franklin Fire Company assisted at the scene.