Blaze destroys Blakely home
BLAKELY - A blaze Monday morning leveled a two-story borough home and damaged the house next door, officials said.
At about 4:25 a.m., Blakely firefighters responded to a "fully engulfed" home at 312 Fourth St., borough Fire Chief Jeff Cruciani said. The fire destroyed the home and significantly damaged a house at 310 Fourth St., before firefighters could extinguish the blaze.
No one was hurt, as both homes were empty. However, downed wires and natural gas explosions made the situation even more dangerous, Chief Cruciani said.
It's unclear what caused the fire, which he said is being investigated by state police.
Because the fire took about four hours to extinguish, officials canceled a parade planned for Blakely in honor of Memorial Day.