The volunteers of the Red Hill Fire Company were dispatched at 7:47 Monday morning for the report of a house fire at 1289 St. Paul's Church Road in Upper Hanover Township.

Volunteer firefighters from Red Hill and Pennsburg make  entry into the burning building.

            Two passers-by called 911 and reported smoke and flames coming from the building.  According to Montgomery County Communications records, Red Hill's Deputy Chief, Josh Noska, arrived on the scene quickly and reported a working house fire with possible entrapment.

            Additional fire companies were dispatched along with Red Hill on the first alarm.

            According to Red Hill Assistant Chief Kyle Eshbach, when the first unit arrived, flames were shooting out of the windows and heavy smoke was coming out of the eaves and sections of the roof.

            Red Hill Chief Mike Eshbach added that because of the possibility of a victim inside the home, the firefighters forced their initial entry through the front door to conduct a search. Met with fierce flames the volunteers, using a hand-held hose line, fought back the flames as they made their way through the home.

            According to records, at one point the volunteers had two crews working inside of the building.

            After completing their search and with the building fully involved and in danger of collapse, the firefighters fought the remainder of the blaze from the outside of the building using four hose lines.

            Chief Mike Esbach declared the fire under control at 9:11 a.m.

            Approximately 50 fire company volunteers responded to the call.

            According to Montgomery County property records the home is owned by Ian Wood and was originally built as a one-room schoolhouse in the late 1800s.   It was sold in 1957 and eventually converted into a home.

            The building is a total loss.

            The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal and the Upper Hanover Township Fire Marshal's office.

           According to Red Hill Fire Police Captain Larry Stempel, St. Paul's Church Road was reopened shortly after noon.

            Fire company volunteers from three counties were dispatched to assist.  From Montgomery County: East Greenville, New Hanover, Pennsburg, and Upper Salford.  Fire police from Green Lane also responded.

            From Bucks County: Milford Township, Quakertown, and Trumbauersville.  From Lehigh County: Upper Milford Western District.

            Units from Telford Fire Company and Skippack Fire Company were on stand-by at Pennsburg's fire station.

            Also responding were emergency medical service units from the Upper Perkiomen Valley Ambulance, Bally Community Ambulance, and canteen units from the North Penn Goodwill Service.