New Paris Fire Kills One

One person died and another was injured in a trailer fire recently in New Paris in Bedford County.

The fire occurred around 11 pm on the 400 block of Fish Hatchery Road in New Paris.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene and the injured person was airlifted to an unknown hospital for treatment.

According to State Police Trooper Christopher Fox, the condition of the survivor is unknown. Police have not released any names, but the Bedford County Coroner’s office confirmed the deceased victim was female.

Police initially stated that the cause of the fire was still unknown, but the state police fire marshal began an investigation the morning after the fire. Within 24 hours the marshal had ruled the fire accidental and caused by an electrical malfunction.

According to Alum Bank Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Mickey, “The building was already fully involved when we arrived on scene.” He added that firefighters were forced to take defensive measures to control the fire.

Five fire departments responded to the fire, including Imler, Bedford, Southern Cove, Shawnee, and Alum. There were also ambulances from Chestnut Ridge and Bedford on the scene.

This fire was the second in the area in two days. The morning before there was a barn fire on the Garman Family Farm in nearby Pleasantville. It killed 90 head of cattle and destroyed two barns. That fire was declared an accident. According to fire marshal Stephen Griffith, the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction that occurred when the owner of the farm plugging in a cord to the wall to charge a tractor.

A third fire in Blair County occurred at the same time as the Pleasantville blaze.

According to National Fire Protection Association, this is not a surprise.

Fire experts say more fires occur between January and March more than at any other time of the year. A fourth fire earlier in the week resulted in the death of a Sinking Valley man. A mid-January fire resulted in the death of a 60-year old woman and injured two firefighters from the Altoona Fire Department.

The most recent fire brought the total to three fire-related fatalities in the area in the last month.

In addition to the three fatal fires, there was also a fire at Bedford Valley Petroleum & Propane that destroyed a large storage building and office space.

At Heavens Law, we’ve worked with people injured in fires of all kinds. If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a fire, you could be eligible for compensation.

For more information or to discuss your situation, contact Heavens Law at 484-467-8254. All phone consultations are free and confidential, with no obligation beyond that.