ORWIGSBURG — Fire severely damaged a former Schuylkill County landmark restaurant Monday morning.
Flames broke out about 10:30 a.m. at the former Swiss Chalet, 529 Second Mountain Road, a building that has since been converted into six apartments.
The blaze left seven people homeless and claimed the life of a pet dog owned by one of the tenants.
Firefighters from Deer Lake-West Brunswick Township and surrounding communities were called to the former restaurant and found heavy smoke and fire coming from the first floor on the west side of the building.
Flames quickly spread throughout the building, causing heavy black smoke to pour out of windows on the second floor.
Tenant Jack Dennis, 66, said he was able to escape with his two dogs — a pit bull and a Jack Russell terrier — after being alerted to the fire by a neighbor.
“I was sitting watching television when I heard someone yelling ‘get out of the building,’ ” Dennis said.
Dennis, who lives with his wife, Cheryl Dennis, also 66, said although seven people lived in the building, only he and another tenant were home when the fire broke out.
“I ran to see if everyone was out, I checked the other doors but one was locked, that’s the apartment they found the dog in,” Dennis said.
The two tenants were alerted to the fire by neighbors Michael and Elaine Huebner, who live at 510 Second Mountain Road.
Michael Huebner said he saw the smoke and ran inside the building to alert those inside that the former restaurant was on fire.
“I said ‘you got to get out,’ ” Huebner recalled, telling tenants as he and his wife called the Schuylkill County Communications Center to report the blaze.
Standing outside of the building with his two dogs inside a vehicle, Dennis said he lost everything in the fire.
“Whatever possessions I had are all gone ... but they’re only possessions. I enjoyed them while I had them,” he said.
In addition to Jack and Cheryl Dennis and Irina Nektiaienko, 51, four others are homeless. They are Kevin Tosh, 61, owner of the building; Manuel Paulo, 59; Joshua Emanuelson, 35; and another man who was in the hospital at the time of the fire.
Dennis said Tosh was at work when the fire started and his girlfriend, Nektiaienko, was the only other person inside the building at the time.
Deer Lake-West Brunswick Township Fire Chief Michael Strauss would not comment on the fire at the scene and refused to provide a contact number to obtain additional information.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation, firefighters at the scene said.
Responding to assist were firefighters from Summit Station, Schuylkill Haven, Landingville, Friedensburg, Orwigsburg, Auburn, New Philadelphia, Tuscarora and Pottsville, along with Auburn EMS and Schuylkill EMS.
No injuries were reported and no estimate of damage was available.
The American Red Cross Tri-County Chapter responded to the scene and assisted four families — Jack and Cheryl Dennis were provided food and clothing and are staying with family members and Paulo, Tosh and Nektiaienko, and Emanuelson were provided housing, food and clothing assistance.
(Amy Marchiano contributed to this report)