Fire update

This story continues to develop.

Most of the fire departments that were on the scene of the fire in the 500 block of North Second Street left the scene around 4 a.m. Two Columbia stations, No. 1 and Consolidated stayed on the scene until about 7:30 a.m. and recently returned to the scene.

The damage estimate is $250,000 and the State Police Fire Marshall's office and Lancastr County District Attorney's office are involved in the investigation.

A resident next to one of the houses that burned had a heart attack helping one of the resident's escape the burning building and is in critical condition at LGH.

Also, investigators spoke with the owner of the house where the fire stared, 349 North Second St. That home was comdemmed by the borough and charges might be filed.

In addition to the civilian, there were three firefighters who suffered injures and they were treated and released from a Lancaster hospital.

As this story develops, we will have updates, including in this week's Columbia Ledger.

Smoke could be seen for miles

More than 20 fire companies from Lancaster and York counties are on the scene of a major fire just inside the borough lines on Deascenti Drive at Franklin Road, about a mile or so off Route 462.

The fire on property owned by River Valley Disposal broke out about 12:43 p.m. and according to Lancaster County 911 was brought under control at 2:06 p.m.

The fire destroyed equipment bays on the property. The bays were leased by River Valley Disposal to Edie Waste, also of Columbia.

The first units on the scene could see thick, black smoke showing as they left their fire stations. We could see the smoke as we left the office and turned onto Fourth Street.

The major problem in fighting the fire was getting water to the scene. There were a large number of tankers on the scene, running relays from the closest fire hydrant, which was located on Route 462 at Oswego Drive, perhaps a mile from the fire scene.

At this time, no damage estimates or cause is available and firemen will be on the scene for many more hours.

Kelly Horn of River Valley said she was in the office when the fire broke out.

"We looked out and saw flames. It was already smokey," Horn said.

Employees of both River Valley and Edie were able to get their trucks away from the bays.

"No one (employees) were hurt. Everything but maybe one car got out," Horn said.

There were reports of a possible explosion on the property after the fire broke out.

"There was no explosion, but there were a couple of pops," Horn said.

"We don't know what happened," Horn said.

Steve Loreto is a sales person for Edie. It was his second day of work.

"There was a welder working on a dumpster," Loreto said.

"The building was completely destroyed," Loreto said.

Edie owns five of the eight bays at the business.

Jason Myers, an Edie employee, said he was welding when the fire broke out.

"I said to myself, it was getting awful hot in here. I looked around and saw the wall behind me stared to burn," Myers said.

Myers said he and other employees tried to put the fire out, with no luck.

There was a tank of diesel fuel near where the fire was burning, but it wasn't damaged.

On the scene, a few firefighters were being treated for heat problems.

We will have more as it becomes available.