MIFFLINBURG — Melanie Page’s phone rang overnight Wednesday just minutes after firefighters were dispatched to her family-owned business, Forest House Hotel, to extinguish a blaze spreading from the kitchen.
Page and her husband, Matt Mackley, rushed to the scene on Route 192 and walked anxiously for what felt like a mile, weaving through emergency vehicles before observing the smoke and fire firsthand.
They watched as firefighters stopped the flames from spreading far beyond the kitchen and eventually put it out for good. As the sun rose and first responders cleared the scene, the husband and wife didn’t find themselves left alone.
Hundreds of people reached out by phone and social media to express grief and offer support. Dozens more arrived on scene — family and friends, patrons and employees — to deliver supplies, help clean up, secure the building and offer handshakes and hugs.
“The support has been absolutely overwhelming, to say the least,” said Page, still visibly shaken and saddened by the devastating fire long after it sparked.
Page extended gratitude to the entire Mifflinburg-area community, especially the firefighters. The building, home to one of the oldest businesses in Union County, was insured and no one was physically harmed. She said she was most concerned for the 15 employees — cooks, waitstaff, bartenders — who helped make the Forest House a popular haunt for locals and visitors to the Bald Eagle State Forest area.
Page didn’t hesitate to say herself that the fire didn’t mark the end of Forest House Hotel. Mackley didn’t balk, either, at agreeing. They both said they want to rebuild and reopen.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen. We don’t know how long this is going to take. We will definitely be back. This is going to be a long haul,” Page said. “The Forest House is my heart.”
Overnight dispatch
The fire sparked at the rear of the two-story structure, spreading through the kitchen and an adjacent storage area, according to Chief Steve Walter of Mifflinburg Hose Company.
Initial dispatch occurred at 3:38 a.m. Wednesday for a working structure fire. Walter said a tenant living in a room above the bar and restaurant reported smoke alarms had activated and that he saw the fire.
Firefighters from Mifflinburg and neighboring departments arrived to find flames and smoke rising from the building in the dead of night.
“We went on an offensive attack and knocked the fire down. There is heavy damage to the kitchen and where they had refrigerators and freezers,” Walter said. “There is heat and smoke damage throughout the first floor.”
The first two trucks from Mifflinburg Hose arrived on scene with 4,000 gallons of water combined. A fire apparatus from the Mazeppa station connected to a dry hydrant at a pond on the grounds of the Forest House Hotel, providing additional water.
It took about 45 minutes to completely extinguish the blaze, Walter estimated, and at least another hour to overhaul the property to ensure there were no hot spots.
State Police Fire Marshal Trooper Jim Nizinski ruled the cause of the fire undetermined. He said the fire was not suspicious.
Assisting members of Mifflinburg Hose Company were members of New Berlin, William Cameron, Penns Creek and West End fire companies.
While water wasn’t an issue, heat from the fire combined with humidity on scene taxed firefighters, Walter said. There were no injuries, but Walter said he requested additional manpower on scene to help with overhaul.
The bar and dining area was left covered in a layer of soot. Page said five different televisions melted down the wall from the heat, even as the flames were largely confined to the kitchen and storage area.
Those areas were completely charred, blackened debris left laying across every inch of every surface. A back wall was completely opened to the outdoors, burned refrigerators and other debris having been tossed out. Prep tables, sinks, the bar itself, the floor — everything was black from flames or soot.
‘Just showed up’
The original Forest House Hotel, about five miles north of Mifflinburg, was built as a cabin in about 1864 and was first used as a tavern-inn in 1866, local news archives show. Located about six miles east of Raymond B. Winter State Park, it’s operated as a tavern-inn on and off ever since.
Mackley tried not to think about all the work he and Page put into the place since they took over Forest House in 2016. They rebuilt the business into a popular family restaurant and watering hole, and they made a reputation for supporting community causes.
“You look at everything you did in the last five-and-a-half years and it’s gone in three hours. That’s the worst part,” Mackley said as he looked toward the kitchen.
Like Page, he took heart in the kindness others showed his family amidst tragedy.
“They just showed up,” Mackley said of people helping on scene.
Saws cut through plywood measured to board up windows and doors. Power drills buzzed as screws were pushed through the boards and into frames.
Ryan Hackenburg was among a dozen or so men and women on scene in the 10 o’clock hour Wednesday morning. He’s a friend and customer who took off work to help.
“Closing up and doing any cleanup we can do to prevent any more damage,” Hackenburg said in describing his efforts. “They’re two down-to-Earth people. They help our community a lot. Why not give back?”
