Children escape injury as fire destroys home

MERCER, Pa. -- A baby sitter and several small children escaped a fire that destroyed the home of an eight-member family.
The fire broke out about 12:30 p.m. Saturday in the basement of a ranch-style house at 7875 Lamor Road, said Thomas King, chief of the Jefferson Township Fire Department. Everybody inside got out unharmed, he said. The home is owned by Philip Erdos.
The state fire marshal's office is investigating because it's unclear how the blaze started, but the fire isn't considered suspicious, King said.
A stiff wind and a series of renovations to the house made the fire hard to fight, he said. It took several hours to get the fire under control, he added.