News

November 27, 2008

Fire hits Ashley Furniture in W-B Township

By Ed Lewis elewis@timesleader.com
Times Leader Staff Writer
Ed Lewis on Facebook   |   @TLEdLewis on Twitter

WILKES-BARRE TWP. - More than 50 firefighters helped save several Mundy Street businesses early Thursday morning when a fire broke out at Ashley Furniture.

Fire Chief John Yuknavich said fire fighters from several departments responded to the business just after 3 a.m. It took firefighters about 3 1/2 hours to bring the fire under control, Yuknavich said.

Yuknavich said the fire was contained to the front section of Ashley Furniture and Country Junction. Adjacent businesses, Quiznos Subs and Nextel/Sprint, suffered water and smoke damage, Yuknavich said.

"Most of the building is still intake," Yuknavich said. "The fire was engulfed when we arrived on scene, it was through the roof in the front to the store."

Yuknavich said memorabilia to the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame that is located in the furniture store was not damaged.

"It's all intake," Yuknavich said about the sports hall of fame property.

Yuknavich said township police Officer Shawn Whitebread was patrolling in the area and noticed the orange glow just after 3 a.m. The building's alarm system also activated when flames broke out, Yuknavich said.

Co-owners James Everett and Darrin Gallagher were at the scene accessing the damage.

"Police called us and confirmed that there was a fire," Everett said.

Gallagher said about 99 percent of the building was not damaged by the fire, but did sustained smoke and water damage.

Approximately 35 employees are employed at the store, Gallagher said.

Gallagher and Everett said customers can call Country Junction's central warehouse at 610-826-6294 or 610-377-5050 to inquire about merchandise.

"We'll be here today and throughout the week assisting customers who purchased merchandise," Gallagher said.

Yuknavich said the cause of the fire is under investigation by a state police fire marshal.

No injuries were reported.

Gallagher and Everett opened the Mundy Street Ashley Furniture and Country Junction, known as The World's Largest General Store, in 2002.

Mundy Street and the access road to Wilkes-Barre Township Commons, a shopping center anchored by Target and Circuit City, has reopened.

POSTED 6:46 a.m.

WILKES-BARRE TWP. - A fire heavily damaged two township businesses and impacted several others on Mundy Street early Thursday morning.

A 911 supervisor confirmed firefighters were called out to Country Junction around 3:30 a.m.

The building at 251 Mundy St., the former Stroud Department Store, also houses Ashley Furniture, Nextel, a restaurant and the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame.

Multiple fire departments were dispatched to the scene.

Check back for details as they become available.

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