Firefighters and investigators are looking at fires at homes less than a block apart on Kline Avenue in Lansford as suspicious.

A fire broke out at 301 W. Kline Ave. late Monday morning, which firefighters kept contained to the basement.

State police fire marshals were investigating the cause of the fire at that home when fire broke out in the next block hours later.

The investigators rushed to the 200-block of Kline Avenue, where they grabbed garden hoses and fire extinguishers to fight and contain the fire until volunteers arrived, Lansford Chief Joseph Greco said.

The investigators also alerted a resident, Nina Hundley, 21, who was sleeping upstairs at 214 W. Kline Ave., where the porch was on fire, and helped her get outside.

“The three fire marshals came up, started knocking it down with extinguishers, getting people evacuated,” Greco said. “So that kept the fire in check until we got on. So, I would highly believe that these are a little suspicious right now.”

A person of interest was questioned about the fires, Greco said, but no arrests have been made. State police are currently handling the investigation.

One fire marshal, Zachary Martini of the Hazleton barracks, sustained smoke inhalation and was taken to a hospital where he was treated and released.

The fire at 214 W. Kline Ave. extended to the porch at 216 W. Kline Ave., Greco said, and there was also trash can on fire at 212 W. Kline Ave.

Greco had requested the state police fire marshal to investigate the fire at 301 W. Kline Ave., because they couldn’t determine how that fire started, he said.

“It started in the basement,” he said. “There was no heat source that we could determine. That’s why I called the fire marshal to investigate that.

“Thank God they were still on scene, because they were able to come down and start knocking this one out,” Greco said as he stood across from the charred porches in the 200-block.

Ladders were still extended to the second stories of the homes as firefighters crowded outside on the narrow street.

Streets closed

Numerous streets around the fire were closed during the fires to allow firefighters to lay hoses from higher pressure hydrants along Patterson Street, or Route 209, which was also closed for a time during the fires.

Despite the road closures, motorists drove over hoses damaging them, Greco said.

No one was displaced by the fires in the 200-block of Kline Avenue, which started 2:25 p.m., he said, but there was damage to the front of the homes and smoke throughout.

“I think it’s more a matter of inconvenience at this point,” Greco said of the damage.

Lansford Deputy Fire Chief Zach Gilbert said the resident at 301 W. Kline Ave. could likely return to the home as well once investigators had finished and power and water were restored.

The call came in around 10:35 a.m. and firefighters had the fire out within 10 minutes of arriving and then began overhaul and ventilation, he said.

The fire was contained to the basement, where it began, and no one was home at the time, Gilbert said. Firefighters did have a report that someone was home, but that turned out to be unfounded, he said.

Gilbert credited firefighters with doing a good job, considering manpower is usually limited on weekday mornings.

“That was a really quick response with very limited manpower,” he said. “10:30 on a Monday morning is tough time for any fire department around the area.

“With the limited manpower that we had at the very beginning, they did a phenomenal job at keeping the fire contained to specifically where it was in the basement,” Gilbert said. “It was just a great job by everybody that responded.”

Firefighters from Lansford, Coaldale and Summit Hill were summoned, along with Tamaqua for its Rapid Intervention Unit, Gilbert said.

They also called for assistance for manpower from Nesquehoning, Jim Thorpe and Weatherly, but Weatherly was canceled, he said. Lehighton Ambulance was also on scene for rehab, Gilbert said.

Residents affected

The fire at 214 W. Kline happened at the home of Tarik “T” Hundley, who was at work when the fire happened.

Hundley’s daughter Nina said she was sleeping “when the cop came into the house.”

“The smoke was bad,” she said.

Tarik Hundley said he was in the process of remodeling the house and there were some construction materials on the porch. He feels the only way the fire could have started is if it was intentionally set.

“I just re-sanded the floor; I literally just finished it,” he said.

He said he doesn’t have insurance but was in the process of obtaining it.

Stating he has a construction background, he said of the damage to the home, “I can fix that.”

The front porch of the house was charred black. The fire had begun to enter the inside of the house and caused smoke damage throughout.

The flames had also begun to spread and cause some damage at the home of Tina Guth, 216 W. Kline Ave.

Guth, who was scheduled for a night shift, was sleeping in a second-floor bedroom at the time. She was awakened by the smoke.

“I smelled smoke,” she said. “The bedroom was full of smoke. The smoke came in at the air conditioner opening.”

The home of Stacy Thomas, 212 W. Kline, had siding damaged by the fire. She said her daughter, Jennifer Choma, called the fire department.

Thomas was just coming home from work and saw the smoke. Jennifer was in her room at the time, saw smoke coming from the next-door residence, and called 911. She said she also called Guth to let her know the home was on fire.

Thomas resides there with the daughter, son, and a granddaughter, age 5.

“He did a lot of work to that house,” said Thomas regarding Hundley.

She said people got garden hoses that the police used and the fire marshal that arrived also had a fire extinguisher. “Everybody was trying to help,” she said.

Besides Trooper Martini, also on the scene and helping to fight the fire, then investigating the cause, was Trooper C.J. McFeeley.

The Lansford Police Department arrived shortly after the troopers and also assisted.

Responding besides the Lansford Fire Department were firefighters from Summit Hill, Coaldale, Nesquehoning, Jim Thorpe, Lehighton and Tamaqua, including the Tamaqua Rapid Intervention Team.

Greco said initially manpower was a problem but as personnel and apparatus arrived, everything worked out.

“Everybody did a great job,” he said. “Oh, my God, yes. I can’t be thankful enough. Everyone worked well together. I’m pleased with everyone’s performance. I can’t thank the state police enough for being at the right place at the right time.”