An Amish school building near Spartansburg was destroyed by fire Friday morning, leaving three people injured, two of them seriously.
The call went out just before 9:30 a.m. to Byler Road. UC Today was on the scene shortly after firefighters arrived to find the structure already heavily involved.
Spartansburg Fire Chief Chris Hughes said the fire spread rapidly.
“I do know there was an explosion… it went from smoke to fully involved in seconds,” Hughes said.
The building had already collapsed by the time crews arrived.
“By the time we got here, the schoolhouse was completely collapsed,” Hughes said.
Officials believe the fire may have started when a kerosene lantern exploded, possibly due to the wrong type of fuel, though the exact cause remains under investigation by the fire marshal.
A teacher and two students were inside the building at the time of the fire. All three were injured, with two suffering serious burns. The victims were flown by helicopter to a hospital in Buffalo for treatment.
Chief Hughes said the focus quickly shifted from saving the structure to assisting the victims.
“When I got here, it was too late for that, and I was more worried about the kids,” he said.
The building is considered a total loss. The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.
Firefighters from multiple departments responded to the scene, including Spartansburg, Corry, Union City, Elgin-Beaverdam, Bloomfield Township, along with Meadville Ambulance. Union City and Corry assisted in setting up a landing zone for medical helicopters.
