Lancaster County, PA – One person has been found dead following an early morning explosion and fire at a hotel in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania, a popular destination for Amish-related tourism. The incident occurred at the Bird-in-Hand Family Inn in Lancaster County, as reported by state police on Monday.
Emergency services responded to the blast, which was reported shortly after 2:30 a.m. First responders arrived to find heavy fire and smoke, prompting the dispatch of multiple fire departments to the scene. Trooper James Grothey stated that the preliminary investigation suggests the explosion was caused by propane.
The identity of the deceased individual has not yet been disclosed. According to John Smucker, the owner of the company that manages the business complex encompassing the hotel, no guests were present at the time of the explosion.
The inn closes each year for maintenance and repairs during the week before Christmas. Smucker revealed that the blast, which resulted in the front office being flattened, was unrelated to ongoing repair work as the inn had just closed and the repairs had not yet begun.
In addition to the hotel, the adjacent restaurant was also damaged. Smucker estimated the total damage to be between $1 million and $2 million.
The tragedy has left the community shocked and saddened. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the incident.