No one hurt in blaze at bed and breakfast

There were no guests at the establishment when the fire started.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- Ida and John Felix looked on helplessly as firefighters brought out charred Christmas wreaths, tables and other items.
The couple owns the Jacqueline House, a bed and breakfast one mile south of New Wilmington on Pa. Route 956, which caught fire Wednesday morning.
Ida Felix said she walked into the bed and breakfast kitchen at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday -- the couple live in an attached apartment off the business -- when she saw smoke and knee-high flames coming from a vent in an attached bathroom.
"I just started screaming for John to get out. I grabbed the phone and there was nothing," she said. Smoke alarms started going off as well, she added.
There were no guests in the five-bedroom bed and breakfast Wednesday, but some were expected today, the Felixes said. Mrs. Felix said they draw people from around the world, but most of their clients come from Pittsburgh and Cleveland.
Cause undetermined
Gary Wagner, New Wilmington fire chief, said the cause of the fire is under investigation. The blaze appears to have started in the basement where most of the fire damage was contained. There was smoke damage throughout the structure, he said.
Felix said the electrical box was in the basement area below the bathroom where his wife saw the flames. Aside from the box, there is a workout room and a laundry area, he said.
Felix said he was in the basement Tuesday night and everything seemed fine. The couple has owned the bed and breakfast for about three years.
Wagner said the house is uninhabitable because of the smoke damage.
The Felixes said they will stay with relatives.
"I'm just glad nobody was here," Felix said.
cioffi@vindy.com