The state police is now trying to determine what caused the explosion.
Early Monday, firefighter from all over Lancaster County battled heavy smoke and blazes at the Bird-In-Hand Family Inn.
The fire broke out after a propane blast at around 2:30 am at the front desk of the Leacock Township Hotel.
Ambroja Ferguson, who lives opposite the Family Inn said: “I thought the sound and vibrations were thunder or lightning because they shook my entire home and I could hear the pots and the pans moving.”
It is thought that the person who died in this incident was an innkeeper.
One week before Christmas, neighbors describe it as a devasting scene.
Ferguson said, “You’re praying for everyone, despite the chaos, all the things that have happened and the fire and smoke.”
The damage was estimated at more than $1 million.
Glass windows were blown from neighboring buildings and the inn’s offices.
The glass and debris was hurled everywhere.
Steven Kadsand, of East Lampeter Township said: “I couldn’t even believe what I saw. The devastation was unbelievable.” “It leveled, basically leveled the area”
Kadsand lived five miles from the Inn, and his entire family was affected.
He explained: “My wife called and asked me if I felt it around 2:30. She said, ‘Did You Feel That?’ I said “No,” but my wife heard the noise, felt it and said that it was like an explosion.
Ashley Martin who lives next door said, “I’m sure a lot people live there. It gets busy. Hopefully they can rebuild. Everything will be fine.”
The police and firefighters spent the entire day on site searching for rubble.
The state police and fire marshals have been working together to identify the cause of this explosion.
FOX43 has reached out to Bird-In-Hand Corporation which is the owner of the Family Inn but as of today, they haven’t heard anything back.
Due to the fire, all Bird-in-Hand locations were closed on Monday.
Pennsylvania State Police confirm that there is one death. The officials had earlier in the day said that they thought the Bird-in-Hand Family Inn exploded because it was empty.
At this point, the Coroner’s Office has not released any further information.
The value of loss for the company is estimated by the police at $1 million.
An explosion of propane at an inn located in Lancaster County started the fire on Monday morning.
Lancaster County Wide Communications reports that firefighters extinguished flames in the Bird-in-Hand family inn located on 2740 Old Philadelphia Pike in Bird in Hand in Leacock Township. The explosion was reported to first responders around 2:35 am on December 18.
Old Philadelphia Pike is littered with shards and fragments of windows. In the explosion, the roof of the building was completely destroyed.
As far away as a quarter-mile, neighbors reported hearing the explosion and feeling the shaking.
Although the fire continues to burn, it is contained. 911 Dispatch reported that no one was taken to hospital.
The police believe that no one was in the building at the time of explosion.
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