Fire destroys Antrim Township home
By PAT FRIDGEN Echo Pilot

The Talhelm Road home of Donald and Shirley McNamee was destroyed by fire Oct.10.Mac and Shirley are shown in the inset with their wedding photograph, which survived last week's fire.

A Greencastle couple lost their rural home to fire last Wednesday. Donald 'Mac' and Shirley Mc- Namee were not home when the 12:11 p.m. fire broke out at 8515 Talhelm Road. By the time it was under control ninety minutes later, the house was a loss and the garage heavily damaged.

The apparent cause of the fire was a malfunction of electric landscaping lights, the McNamees understand from talking with Pennsylvania State Police Deputy Fire Marshall Jeffrey Sarver. Sarver was not available for comment. They believe the current ran backwards to the transformer on the front porch, and even though the breaker had tripped, the transformer overheated. Sarver had told them it could have taken hours to ignite.

The couple lost most of their possessions, including the one most dear, Mac's 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger. He had spent the past nine years restoring it.

Neighbor Linda Ganoe called in the fire. She informed them she had actually smelled smoke the middle of the previous night, when the two were home, but saw flames just after noon.

Ganoe phoned Mac, 67, at his parttime job at the Pennsylvania Welcome Center to tell him his house had burned down. He in turn called Shirley, 43, at her work at Frederick Memorial Hospital. And Shirley called Mac's best friend Rusty Barnes at his job in Gaithersburg.

"By the time I got there the fire was out, but still smoldering," recalled Barnes the next day. "They were putting out the hotspots."

He pointed to the charred Dart in the driveway. A gutter from the garage had fallen into it.

"That car there is Mac's pride and joy. Saturday we planned to put a new motor in. We just got back from a car show in Ocean City last weekend. He had hoped to show the car but it wasn't ready."

Fighting the fire

Greencastle Rescue Hose Company No. 1 responded, as did units from Marion, New Franklin, Chambersburg, St. Thomas, Mercersburg, Waynesboro, Maugansville and Franklin County Air - Unit 10.

Deputy Chief Mike Luger said the structures involved were the 85x28-foot modular home and an attached 40x40 three-bay garage.

"When we got there the house was fully involved. The wind was a problem. It pushed the fire into the garage."

The firefighters drew water from a hydrant north of Gibbles Potato Chip factory and the Marion Station. Afirefighter from New Franklin was treated for heat exhaustion at a local hospital and released, Luger said.

He said the cause of the fire was not suspicious and that the house was a total loss.

The McNamees credited neighbors Randy Runshaw and Dennis and Bev Kuhn with saving many of the larger items stored in the garage. They took out Mac's Dodge Ram pickup, Corvette, Harley Davidson motorcycle, the Dart's new engine, a brand new tool box and a generator.

Mac and his son-in-law pulled out the Dart using chains. It had been mounted on metal jacks and was already damaged by then.

"I walked around in a daze," he said.

Shirley asked the firefighters to rescue her jewelry armoire, which they were able to do. They also cut a hole in the porch and by evening the family was able to coax out their cats. Six of the seven survived.

The aftermath

The McNamees were homeless for two days and spent the nights in a motel. They feel fortunate to have found a vacant rental property on Williamsport Pike. The landlord waived some red tape and the American Red Cross approved the site. It paid the security deposit and first month's rent and the couple moved in Friday.

"I didn't have a dry eye for three days," said Mac Monday night. "This is the first time I've been able to talk about the incident without breaking down."

The two used a voucher from the Red Cross to purchase immediate necessities such as clothing, toiletries and medicine. They are grateful for the generosity of family and friends as they set up their temporary home. Shirley's parents, Lee and Edith Stoops, her siblings and daughters Tiffany and Jill and husband Shawn Zimmerman are the front line of suport.

Shirley's second employer, TA Truck Stop, is still providing meals. They have borrowed furniture and sleep on a donated mattress. Strangers in Hagerstown gave them a couch and refrigerator.

What Shirley misses most is her own bed and a washer/dryer.

"All our tears are normal," she said, "but you need stability. You can't live out of a Wal-Mart bag. You need a daily routine."

They lost lifetime collections of Harley Davidson memorabilia, snowmen, World War Two items, Franklin Mint dolls, collectibles from Mac's deceased first wife Monica, Longaberger baskets, safety awards from his 38-year truck driving career. Nursery items for their two grandchildren, as well as supplies they were planning to give a single pregnant acquaintance are gone. The home they have shared since their 2002 wedding had recently been remodeled. Shirley had created elaborate gardens. Now they have to document it all for insurance purposes.

"Everything disintegrated. I've never seen anything like it," Mac said.

Yet they did discover small miracles. Two Bibles in a charred basket were unharmed. A number of photographs survived.

They plan to rebuild. In the interim they hope life can return to normal. Anyone wishing to offer assistance may contact them at 593-0612 or 1-240-217-2274.

They also need information on contractors who specialize in debris removal and could bid on building their new home.