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Posted: 8:24 p.m. Monday, Nov. 26, 2012
By Maria Miller
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. —
Flames shooting from the windows and roofs of three buildings were caught on video after a massive blaze swept through Johnstown's Moxham neighborhood Thanksgiving night. The fire left at least 10 people homeless.
Putting out the flames was not the only problem firefighters faced. Their focus was also on prevention and making sure other nearby homes didn't catch fire. With that, they succeeded.
When 6 News reporter Maria Miller got to the scene Thursday night, the first people she talked with was the couple who lives directly next door to the three buildings on fire. At the time they were shook up and uncertain their house would make it through. Now, four days later, not only is their house still standing, there's hardly any damage.
"The neighbor across the street come over and beat on our door until we got up," said Bill Thompson. "We didn't know what it was."
Thompson and his wife Debbie were fast asleep when the flames broke out and quickly started spreading just feet away from their home.
"I opened the door finally to see who was there," said Debbie Thompson. "He was down here on the sidewalk and he says, 'you got to get out. The houses are burning next door.'"
They went outside and joined the masses of people who had gathered. They watched helplessly as the flames grew.
"I thought our house was going to go," said Bill Thompson. "I really did because the flames were going over top of it."
Except for some minor damage to the outside and the scent of smoke lingering inside, their home is perfectly fine. In fact, after spending the night in a hotel, the Thompson were back living inside their house the next day.
"It's as we left it. There's nothing, other than the smell of smoke inside," said Debbie Thompson. "The carpets are dirty from the firemen walking through but we can handle all that."
Nancy Roth lives on the other side. At first her family was also extremely grateful their home was still standing. But that was before 6 News talked with them Friday night after they had been inside.
"Basically you can see the water coming through the roof and the ceiling tiles have fallen in through the kitchen," said Roth's son Rick. "There's three or four inches of water in the kitchen and we just think the roof could go at any point."
Roth is not the only one left homelss. Authorities said there were at least 10 people who lived inside one of buildings that burnt to the ground.
"I don't know what we can do for them," said Bill Thomspon. "But we can try."
"Lots of prayers for them. That's what kept us going, was our prayers," said Debbie Thompson.
Neighbors told 6 News the fire appears suspicious but a fire marshal said Monday that it's undetermined because there's hardly anything left.
City investigators are continuing to follow up on leads. Any information should be brought to their attention.
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