No one was injured Thursday night when fire gutted a stone farmhouse in East Huntingdon.
Firefighters battled the blaze from outside since the building was fully engulfed when units arrived, East Huntingdon Fire Chief Brian Kite said. Half of the second floor collapsed, he said.
The fire was reported around 6:20 p.m. along Hyskell Farm Lane, off Water Street, by a neighbor who saw smoke and flames coming from the second floor, according to county dispatch.
A state police fire marshal listed the cause of the fire as undetermined on Friday, Kite said.
He said the dwelling is vacant and is owned by waste hauler Republic Services.
According to Edward Jesus, general manager of Republic Services in Scottdale, the house has been vacant since the previous owner died in November.
The company “will work with the township to determine the future of the farmhouse,” Jesus said.
Traffic was halted Thursday on a nearby stretch of the Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad while units from East Huntingdon, Scottdale, Mt. Pleasant and Everson fire departments battled the fire.
Firefighters cleared the scene at about 8:30 p.m. Some units returned shortly after 11 p.m. to douse a smoldering board, Kite said.
