POINT TOWNSHIP - An early morning blaze destroyed a mobile home on Eighth Street near the border of the township and Northumberland Wednesday, leaving one man homeless.
Point Township Chief Jim Geise said the home at 227 Eighth St., which is owned by David Pope, was reported to have caught fire at approximately 5:30 a.m.
Firefighters from the township, Northumberland, Upper Augusta and Sunbury responded to the scene, but Geise said the small size of the building meant the fire quickly consumed the structure.
"It's typical for a mobile home. It was morning, and it took 15 minutes for it to go. It didn't take very long with nobody being home to report it right away," Geise said.
Pope, who was the only resident in the house and had no pets, had just left for work, but a neighbor reported the fire, he said.
The fire crew took approximately 20 minutes to get the fire under control, and they cleared the scene at 8:30 a.m., Geise said.
The fire was ruled accidental in nature, and the origin was traced back to a space heater in the living room, located in the middle of the trailer, Geise said.
He said State Police Fire Marshal Trooper Kirk Renn out of the Selinsgrove barracks reviewed his findings and was satisfied with the assessment.
No one was injured in the blaze, and no firefighters, who were spraying water and creating icy roads and pavements, were injured, he said.
Geise said Pope, who has insurance, was in contact with the Red Cross, and will likely be staying with his father who lives near the Eighth Street home.