Early-morning fire destroys VFW building

FARRELL, Pa. -- Damage will range between $300,000 and $500,000 in a fire that destroyed Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5286.
Fire Chief Joseph Santell said flames were coming through the roof when the first fire crew reached the scene at 1233 Idaho St. shortly after 3 a.m. Sunday.
The post had a midnight bingo session Saturday night, and Terry Kromka, post commander, was the last one out of the building around 2:15 a.m., Santell said.
The fire was detected by an alarm company, which at first reported a motion sensor in the building had been activated but then, within a minute, reported a fire alarm as well, Santell said.
Fire crews from Sharon and Hermitage assisted at the scene but couldn't save the one-story, metal-sided building. The structure had a wooden roof, and the fire appeared to start in an area above a walk-in cooler and quickly spread through the roof, Santell said.
A state police fire marshal said a preliminary investigation indicated the fire was accidental, possibly electrical in nature.
Santell said the fire started in an area above the cooler where the compressor is located. It took nearly three hours to bring the blaze under control, he said, estimating the loss at $300,000 to $500,000.