McADOO - The cause of an intense blaze in a vacant building on North Kennedy Drive in McAdoo early Thursday morning remains undetermined, pending further investigation by borough police, Assistant Fire Chief Robert Leshko said.
Borough police took a man who claimed to have started the blaze at 92-94 N. Kennedy Drive into custody at the scene.
Scott Branz Jr., 31, of McAdoo, will be charged with burglary, criminal trespass, theft, receiving stolen property, loitering and prowling at night, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness, police said.
Additional arrests on similar charges will follow, police said. Arson charges are pending the result of the fire marshal's investigation, police said.
Firefighters responded to the blaze at 12:20 a.m. and were met with intense flames raging from the first floor of the 92 N. Kennedy Drive side of the building, which had housed the Gray Goose bar, Leshko said. Both McAdoo fire companies and firefighters from Tresckow, Hometown, Delano, Hazle Township and Mahanoy City were called to battle the fire, he said.
Firefighters were still on the scene investigating when the fire flared back up after 3 a.m., when flames shot from second-story front windows despite the massive amount of water used to initially douse the fire, Leshko said. Sidewalks and streets around the fire scene were glazed with ice where crews hadn't treated them with salt.
North Kennedy Drive between Grant and Blaine streets remained closed until about 8 a.m. as McAdoo firefighters along with state police fire marshals investigated to determine a cause. Firefighters were at the fire scene all night, Leshko said.
The fire, while the cause remains undetermined at this time, appears to have started in 92 N. Kennedy Drive, he said. Fire investigators are waiting for police to complete their investigation, Leshko said.
American Patient Transport Systems was also on the scene.