Early-morning fires destroyed a small restaurant along Route 272 in Little Britain Township and did major damage to a townhouse home near Mountville in Manor Township.

Estimated damage from the two fires, which broke out within a minute of each other shortly before 4, was at least $225,000.

Four people were treated for smoke inhalation from the townhouse fire, reported at 3:49 in Oak Ridge Commons, just south of Route 462 in Manor Township.

Initially, firefighters thought a child might be trapped in the third floor of the smoke-filled home at 316 Oak Ridge Drive, but that was not the case.  Everybody was out of the home when firefighters arrived.

At 3:50 Lancaster County Control received word that smoke was pouring out of M J Smoothies restaurant and ice cream shop, 383 Nottingham Road (Route 272), Quarryville, which is in the village of Little Britain.

There were were no injuries, but the blaze destroyed the restaurant and garage behind it, causing an estimated $155,000 damage.

A family of four fled when an accidental blaze started in the garage of the 316 Oak Ridge Drive townhouse, Mountville Deputy Fire Chief Robert Evans said.

The family members were Bernardo Teran, 29; Kimberly Belboda, 27; Gabbie Teran, 11; and Branson Teran, 7, said Trooper Brian Herr, a state police fire marshal. All were checked or treated at Lancaster General Hospital for smoke inhalation.

The family is staying with relatives. The fire started from an electrical malfunction in the garage, and did $70,000 to $80,000 damage to the home, investigators said.

Light smoke crept into the adjoining  townhouses at 314 and 318 Oak Ridge Drive, but there was no fire damage to those units, Evans said.

Lancaster County Control dispatched five fire companies and a Susquehanna Valley Ambulance crew after receiving the first call at 3:49.

The initial report was that as many as six townhouses might be involved in the fire, and that a child might be trapped in the third floor of one unit.

Upon arrival, firefighters found the fire was just at 316 Oak Ridge Drive, and nobody was trapped. Smoke detectors had awakened the occupants.

"Everybody was out at the time I arrived," said Evans.

There were no visible flames, but smoke was coming out the back of garage, Evans said.

Firefighters evacuated about 12 people from all of the three-story townhouses from 312 to 320 Oak Ridge Drive. They are attached dwellings in a single building.

Firefighters had the blaze under control in about 45 minutes. Trooper Herr and Mountville fire officials then conducted an investigation. They  determined the blaze was accidental and started from an electrical malfunction in the garage.

Abut 45 firefighters from Mountville, Rohrerstown, West Lancaster, Lancaster Township, Millersville and Washington Boro  fought the fire, which stayed at one alarm.

The Route 272  restaurant fire was a two-alarm blaze. About 70 firefighters from southern Lancaster County, Chester County, and Cecil County, Md., fought the blaze which they had under control in about 45 minutes, said Deputy Chief Rob Sample, of the Robert Fulton fire company.

The fire's cause remains under investigation by state police Fire Marshal Trooper James DeWalt.

Mike Jones owns the building, which started as an ice cream parlor and then expanded into a small restaurant with a garage attached to the back.

"Every eave of the building was smoking," Sample said. "There was no visible fire, but heavy smoke damage in the interior."

The building's interior is a total loss,  Sample said. He estimated damage to the building at $80,000 and damage to contents at $75,0000.

The ice cream shop started about five years ago, a Little Britain Township official believes.

The building's inside is a total loss, and fire officials do not know if Jones is planning to rebuild the business.


Staff writer John M. Hoober III can be reached at jhoober@LNPnews.com or 481-6027.