5th Alarm + Tanker Task Force 1112 Brock Street, Ashland, Schuylkill County, Pa
6 homes were engulfed by flames with a 2nd home about a block away catching fire when embers landed on another home at 1037 Brock Street, which firefighters brought under control within half an hour.

Command officer Chief William Groody statements:
"There was an explosion when the first arriving units got here, which could've been a smoke explosion, or it could've been a propane tank inside", “Within half an hour, the engulfed buildings were reduced to rubble” "in the vicinity where we think the fire started, those buildings came off the ground." “"It's going to be a long investigation while we put this puzzle back together”

Groody added that firefighters would be at the scene well into the evening cleaning up and investigating.


PP&L, 94 customers in the vicinity of the fire were without power.

The fire delayed School bus routes due to closed streets in the area of the fire.