Barn fire in Lancaster County (2024)

WE A L NEWS EIGHT BEGINS WITH BREAKING NEWS. WE BEGIN AT 5:00 WITH SOME BREAKING NEWS OUT OF YORK COUNTY. WE’RE WORKING TO LEARN WHAT EXACTLY? THIS THICK BLACK SMOKE RISING FROM THE DISTANCES RIGHT HERE. YOU CAN SEE IT ON YOUR SCREEN. THIS IS A VIEW FROM OUR YORK SKYCAM. THE SMOKE IS COMING FROM A CENTRALIZED SPOT IN THE CITY. AGAIN, WE DON’T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT’S CAUSING THIS, BUT WE WILL KEEP AN EYE ON THE INCIDENT IN THE YORK AREA, AND WE’LL LET YOU KNOW IF WE LEARN ANYTHING NEW. IT’S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE, BUT THEY DON’T REALIZE HOW DANGEROUS IT CAN BE. THE OCEAN IS STRONG AND FINAL WHEN IT GETS A HOLD OF YOU. SIX CHILDREN FROM PENNSYLVANIA NOW WITHOUT THEIR MOTHER AND FATHER. AFTER THEY WERE SWEPT OUT TO SEA BY A RIP CURRENT, THE COUPLE DYING IN FRONT OF THEIR OWN KIDS. WELCOME TO NEWS EIGHT AT FIVE. I’M MICHAEL FULLER. THE COUPLE DROWNED WHILE ON VACATION IN FLORIDA, AND NEWS EIGHT’S LESLIE MATTHEWS IS IN STUDIO WITH MORE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED HERE AND DOES MEAN IT’S A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY FOR THIS FAMILY. YEAH, MICHAEL, IT REALLY IS. THE LOCAL SHERIFF’S OFFICE THERE SAYS THE TWO VICTIMS ARE 51 YEAR OLD BRIAN WARNER AND HIS GIRLFRIEND, 48 YEAR-OLD ERICA WISHARD. NOW THESE PICTURES OF THE COUPLE THAT YOU SEE RIGHT HERE, WE JUST GOT INTO THE NEWSROOM THIS AFTERNOON. THEY’RE FROM DOWNINGTOWN IN CHESTER COUNTY. THAT’S ABOUT AN HOUR EAST OF LANCASTER. NOW, THIS HAPPENED YESTERDAY IN MARTIN COUNTY AT STEWART BEACH. THAT’S THE NORTH OF WEST PALM BEACH AND MIAMI. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE COUPLE AND THEIR KIDS, THEY WERE SWIMMING ON HUTCHINSON ISLAND WHEN THEY WERE SWEPT OUT TO SEA BY A RIP CURRENT. THEY WERE TAKEN MORE THAN 100 YARDS OFFSHORE JUST IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. THAT’S HOW STRONG THE CURRENT WAS NOW. THE TEENS WERE ABLE TO ESCAPE AND TRIED TO RESCUE THEIR PARENTS, BUT IT GOT TOO DANGEROUS. THEY RETURNED TO THE BEACH AND CALLED 911. LIFEGUARDS PULLED THE VICTIM OUT OF THE WATER AND TRIED CPR, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. THE COUPLE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE HOSPITAL. KNOW THE OCEAN, KNOW HOW TO SWIM. IF YOU’RE A WEAK SWIMMER, DON’T GET IN THE OCEAN. IT’S JUST NOT WORTH THE RISK. HAS SOME IMPORTANT ADVICE THERE BECAUSE OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, MORE THAN 420 PEOPLE WERE KILLED BY RIP CURRENTS IN THE COUNTRY. THAT’S MORE THAN HURRICANES, TORNADOES AND LIGHTNING. THE ONLY GREATER THREAT FROM A STORM IS FLOODING. SO IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT, JUST REMEMBER THE BEST THING TO DO IS TO SWIM PARALLEL TO THE SHORE. DON’T TRY TO SWIM AGAINST IT. MICHAEL, BACK TO YOU. A TRAGIC BUT IMPORTANT STORY. ALL RIGHT, THIS MEAN THANK YOU. AND THE LEBANON COUNTY CORONER IDENTIFIED THE TEAM FOUND DEAD IN THE WATER AT STOVER’S DAM ON WEDNESDAY. THE CORONER SAYS THE VICTIM IS 15 YEAR OLD LUCAS KIPP. POLICE SAY HE WAS FOUND FACE DOWN IN THE WATER. HIS CAUSE AND MANNER OF DEATH ARE STILL UNDETERMINED AND IT CONTINUES TO BE A SCORCHER ACROSS THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY, TEMPERATURES AGAIN ARE PEAKING IN THE 90S AS RESIDENTS TRY TO PUSH THROUGH THESE UNCOMFORTABLE CONDITIONS. OUR NEWS EIGHT STORM TEAM HAS GOT YOU COVERED WITH EVERY ANGLE THERE IS ON THE HEAT AND ITS IMPACTS. WE BEGIN WITH METEOROLOGIST ETHAN HOUSTON, WHO’S HERE WITH A FIRST CHECK OF THE STORM TEAM FORECAST. HEY, ETHAN. YEAH. TEMPERATURES CHALLENGING RECORD HIGHS AS WE GO THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON AND NOW INTO THE EVENING HOURS. AND WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE HEAT INDICES NEAR 100 DEGREES EACH AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY. NOW, EXPECT THOSE TEMPERATURES TO BE NEAR RECORD HIGHS WHEN YOU STEP OUT THE DOOR RIGHT NOW. BUT WE’LL ALSO DO THIS AGAIN FOR YOUR SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND SUNDAY AFTERNOON. ONE IMPROVEMENT IS WILL AT LEAST HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOME SPOTTY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AT TIMES. UNFORTUNATELY, THE RAIN CHANCES AND STORM CHANCES WILL REMAIN QUITE LOW, SO OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW, EVERYBODY ACROSS THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY IS ROASTING AS TEMPERATURES ARE PRIMARILY IN THE MID TO UPPER 90S, WHERE 94 IN LANCASTER, 96 IN HARRISBURG. BUT WHEN YOU FACTOR IN THE HUMIDITY, IT FEELS LIKE IT’S 100. NOW AT THE OBSERVATION POINT NEAR GETTYSBURG, FEELS LIKE IT’S 99. IN THE CAPITAL CITY NOW ON LIVE LOCAL EIGHT RADAR. WE ARE DRY ACROSS THE VALLEY, BUT WE ARE TRACKING SOME SHOWERS, MAINLY UP TOWARDS THE 522 CORRIDOR BETWEEN STATE COLLEGE AND SELINSGROVE. MAY CLIP NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE VALLEY AS WE GO THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS, BUT MOST OF THE VALLEY WILL CONTINUE TO STAY DRY, SO A SLIM CHANCE OF AN ISOLATED SHOWER. THUNDER SHOWER, I’D SAY TILL ROUGHLY ABOUT 8 TO 9:00 AND IT STAYS WARM THROUGH THE NIGHT. TONIGHT. LOWS WILL CHALLENGE RECORD WARMEST LOW TEMPERATURES FOR OUR SATURDAY MORNING, AS WE’RE ONLY GOING TO DROP INTO THE MID 70S, SO WILL BE NEAR RECORD HIGHS AGAIN FOR YOUR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AFTERNOONS. BUT THE TEMPERATURES WILL FINALLY START TO DROP AND RAIN CHANCES WILL SLIGHTLY IMPROVE AS WE START EARLY NEXT WEEK. ALL DETAILS ON THAT COMING UP IN THE UPDATED TEN DAY FORECAST. ALL GOOD INFORMATION. ALL RIGHT ETHAN THANK YOU. WELL, FARMERS ARE HOPING FOR SOME RAIN BECAUSE IT HASN’T BEEN LOOKING VERY GOOD FOR MANY SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY FIELDS. THE HEAT AND THE LACK OF RAIN IS A12 PUNCH FOR A LOT OF FARMERS IN YORK COUNTY. THAT’S WHERE WE FIND NEWS EIGHT’S ED WEINSTOCK WHO HAS MORE HAD? EXACTLY RIGHT. A12 PUNCH. YOU KNOW, IF THE HEAT KEEPS UP AND THE RAIN STAYS AWAY. FARMERS HERE IN YORK COUNTY AND ELSEWHERE STAND TO LOSE A GOOD PART OF THEIR CROPS. YORK COUNTY FARMER DAVE MILLER GROWS 50 ACRES OF VEGETABLES. HE IS ESPECIALLY WORRIED ABOUT HIS SWEET CORN. SOME OF IT IS SHOWING SIGNS OF STRESS WHEN THE LEAVES CURL IN FROM THE FROM THE OUTSIDE AND ROLL TOWARDS THE MIDDLE, IT’S HEAT STRESS, AND DROUGHT. A SMALL POND IS USED TO IRRIGATE SOME OF MILLER’S FARM, BUT IT WOULD TAKE TOO MUCH WATER TO REPLENISH THE SWEET CORN CROP, SO MILLER IS HOPING FOR A GOOD SOAKING RAIN. OTHERWISE, HE SAYS, IT’S DEFINITELY GOING TO HURT THE YIELD. IT’S GOING TO HURT THE QUALITY SOMEWHAT. MILLER IS ALSO WORRIED ABOUT HIS WATERMELON CROP. HE SAYS IT IS SO HOT, EVEN THE BEES ARE NOT POLLINATING. WELL, WE HAVE A DOUBLE WHAMMY. SO TO SPEAK. NOW, MILLER SAYS THAT THIS WEEKEND IS CRITICAL FOR FARMERS. FARMERS WILL BE REALLY STRUGGLE TRYING TO SAVE THEIR CROPS. IF WE DON’T SEE ANY RAIN IN YORK COUNTY. ED WEINSTOCK WGAL NEWS 8. YEAH, WE’RE WISHING THEM ALL THE BEST. ALL RIGHT, ED, THANK YOU. AND THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE IS INCREASING ITS SAFETY PATROLS DURING THE HEAT WAVE THIS WEEK. MAINTENANCE CREWS WILL BE FINISHING THEIR OUTDOOR JOBS BY 11 A.M., AND THEN CREWS WILL RIDE THE SYSTEM TO WATCH FOR DRIVERS IN NEED OF HELP. THE WORKERS WILL CARRY ICE AND BOTTLED WATER, AND IF A VEHICLE IS BROKEN DOWN, CREWS WILL SIT WITH THEM AND GIVE THEM AIR CONDITIONING. AND IF YOU’RE IN NEED OF A COOLING CENTER, THERE ARE PLACES IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. WE HAVE A LIST ON WJHL DOT COM. YOU CAN GET THERE BY SCANNING THAT QR CODE THAT YOU SEE RIGHT ON YOUR SCREEN. ALSO A GOOD REMINDER AS WE HEAD INTO THE WEEKEND, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE WGAL APP SO YOU CAN GET THE LATEST FORECAST AND GET UPDATES ON ANY STORMS. WELL, THE ICONIC PRIDE OF THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVERBOAT IN HARRISBURG WILL REMAIN DOCKED THIS SUMMER DUE TO REPAIRS. IT’S A DISAPPOINTMENT TO MANY, ESPECIALLY IN THIS HEAT, AND NEWS EIGHT’S TOM LEHMAN JOINS US LIVE FROM CITY ISLAND WITH MORE. HEY, TOM. YEAH, MICHAEL. THE RIVERBOAT RIGHT BEHIND ME. AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF DAYS YOU’D WANT TO GO OUT ON THIS RIVERBOAT, MAYBE ENJOY THE BREEZE FROM THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER. BUT THAT’S JUST NOT POSSIBLE RIGHT NOW. ACCORDING TO THE ASSOCIATION THAT MANAGES THE RIVERBOAT, THEY’VE GOT TO DO SOME SIGNIFICANT REPAIRS THAT ARE GOING TO KEEP IT OUT OF COMMISSION FOR QUITE SOME TIME. EARLIER TODAY, WE LEARNED THAT THE HARRISBURG AREA RIVERBOAT SOCIETY SAYS THAT THE BOAT PASSED NEARLY ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF ITS ANNUAL COAST GUARD INSPECTION. BUT AN UNFORESEEN AND COMPLEX REPAIR IS NEEDED TO THE MEN’S RESTROOM WASTE TANK. AS A RESULT, THE RIVERBOAT WILL NOT BE LAUNCHING THIS SUMMER OR UNTIL THE 2025 SEASON, ACCORDING TO THE SOCIETY. REGULAR VISITORS TO CITY, ISLAND AND THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER SAY THEY’RE DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THAT THIS RIVERBOAT WON’T BE LAUNCHING FOR A WHILE. IT IS, TO A DEGREE. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY EVERYTHING NEEDS, NEEDS WORK AND IT’S DUE TIME, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT’D BE NICE TO SEE IT BACK OUT ON THE WATER IN ITS GLORY. NOW, IN A STATEMENT, THE CHAIRPERSON FOR THE HARRISBURG AREA RIVERBOAT SOCIETY SAID THERE DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THE CANCELED 2024 SEASON, AND THEY’RE CONTACTING EVERYONE WHO HAD A RESERVED CRUISE ON THE RIVERBOAT. AND THOSE PEOPLE CAN EXPECT REFUNDS. THE CHAIRPERSON ALSO WROTE THAT THE SOCIETY REALLY RELIES ON THEIR VOLUNTEERS AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT. THEY SAID THAT ANY DONATIONS THAT GO TOWARD THE SOCIETY WILL HELP FINANCE THE REPAIRS TO THE RIVERBOATS IN HARRISBURG. TOM LEHMAN, WGAL NEWS EIGHT. ALL RIGHT, TOM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WELL, THE RED CROSS IN DAUPHIN COUNTY IS ASSISTING OVER 30 PEOPLE AFTER AN APARTMENT FIRE. THIS VIDEO SENT IN FROM A VIEWER, SHOWS FIREFIGHTERS BATTLING SOME BIG FLAMES. IF YOU TAKE A LOOK THERE, THIS HAPPENED AROUND 1:00 YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AT WILLOW GARDEN APARTMENTS IN HIGHSPIRE. FIRE CREWS SAY NO ONE WAS HURT. THANKFULLY, BUT 32 PEOPLE ARE NOW BEING ASSISTED. THOSE WHO ARE OUT OF THEIR HOMES ARE GETTING HELP FROM THE RED CROSS, AND A LANCASTER COUNTY COUPLE WHO SERVED OTHERS IN EMERGENCIES IS NOW IN NEED OF HELP THEMSELVES AFTER A FIRE HEAVILY DAMAGED THEIR HOME. NEWS EIGHT’S BARBARA BARR IS LIVE ON PENN STREET IN MANOR TOWNSHIP WITH HOW THE COMMUNITY IS RALLYING AROUND THAT FAMILY IN NEED. HEY BARBARA. MICHAEL, TROY AND ALICIA BOLAND HAVE BEEN VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS WITH BLUE ROCK REGIONAL, AND HERE IN WASHINGTON BOROUGH FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, HELPING OTHERS IN NEED. WELL, LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, FIRE HEAVILY DAMAGED AND DESTROYED THEIR HOME HERE ON PENN STREET. AND NOW NEIGHBORS AND FELLOW FIREFIGHTERS ARE SEEKING TO HELP THEM. ALL THEY HAVE IS A CLOOTIE ON THEIR BACK. EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING IS GONE. DOLORES BISH LIVES NEXT DOOR TO TROY AND ALICIA BOLAND. SHE SAYS THEIR SON WAS HOME WHEN THE FIRE BROKE OUT LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. HE ESCAPED ALONG WITH A DOG. YOU SAW NOTHING BUT RED AND ORANGE. IT WAS JUST ENGULFED, SHE SAYS. THE BOLEYNS HAVE SERVED WASHINGTON BOROUGH AND MANOR TOWNSHIP AS VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS FOR BLUE ROCK, HELPING OTHERS IN TIMES OF DISASTER. TROY WAS. HE DROVE THE TRUCK AND HE FOUGHT THE FIRES AND HIS WIFE USED TO GO OUT IN THE RIVER, GET PEOPLE OFF THE RIVER. NOW, SHE SAYS. FELLOW FIREFIGHTERS, NEIGHBORS AND TOTAL STRANGERS ARE LOOKING TO HELP THE FAMILY IN THEIR TIME OF NEED. THEY’RE TAKING UP A COLLECTION. WHAT THEY NEED RIGHT NOW IS THE CARDS TO HELP THEM BUY CLOTHING. NOW BLUE BROCK REGIONAL HAS SET UP A FUNDRAISER. YOU CAN SEND YOUR CHECKS OR GIFT CARDS MADE OUT TO THE BOLEYNS OR THE FIRE COMPANY TO BLUE ROCK REGIONAL FIRE DISTRICT AT 26 EAST CHARLOTTE STREET. YOU CAN SEND IT CARE OF LINDA OLSEN OR DROP IT OFF IN A BLACK BOX THAT IS LOCKED IN THE VESTIBULE AT THAT STATION. ALSO, BENNY’S FARMERS MARKET RIGHT HERE ON PENN STREET, IS ALSO TAKING UP A COLLECTION FOR THE FAMILY, HELPING THEM AFTER THEY’VE HELPED SO MANY IN THIS COMMUNITY LIVE IN LANCASTER COUNTY. I’M BARBARA BARR FOR NEWS EIGHT. A COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER. WE LOVE THAT. ALL RIGHT, BARB, THANK YOU. AND WE NOW KNOW THE CAUSE OF A POWER OUTAGE THAT KNOCKED NEARLY 10,000 PEOPLE IN THE CARLISLE AREA INTO THE DARK. PBL TELLING NEWS EIGHT TODAY THAT THE OUTAGE WAS ACTUALLY CAUSED BY A SQUIRREL. PBL SAYS THAT THE ANIMAL ENCOUNTERED ONE OF THE LINES AT THE CARLISLE SUBSTATION. OUTAGES SPIKED JUST BEFORE 7:00 YESTERDAY MORNING, WITH 9500 CUSTOMERS AFFECTED. POWER WAS RESTORED YESTERDAY TO ALL RESIDENTS AROUND 10 A.M. AND STILL AHEAD ON NEWS EIGHT AT FIVE. GETTING PROTECTIONS FOR THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY. THE EFFORTS FROM PENNSYLVANIA STATE LAWMAKERS IN HONOR OF PRIDE MONTH AND HUNDREDS OF STRANGERS SHOW UP FOR ONE VETERAN’S FUNERAL. WHY THE SHOW OF SUPPORT IS EVEN MORE SPECIAL. ONCE YOU KNOW HIS STORY, GRAB THE FRYING PAN AND AT THE SAME TIME, THE BURGER CAME DOWN THE STAIRS. IT CAN BE USED TO COOK BASICALLY ANYTHING AND ALSO APPARENTLY FEND OFF BURGLARS. SEE THE VIDEO OF A HOMEOWNER LAST STAND WITH AN INTERESTING WEAPON OF CHOICE. SO YOU’VE PROBABLY RECEIVED AN EMAIL OR TWO THAT TURNED OUT TO BE A SCAM. NO SURPRISE SCAMMERS ARE CHANGING. ONE OF THEIR TACTICS, THOUGH. COMI