An elderly woman from Susquehanna County is safe after flames tore through her home in Montrose yesterday. Sarah Bertsch, who is in her 90s, escaped a three-alarm fire at 164 Lake Avenue. Firefighters said working smoke detectors saved her life. Firefighters said a group of landscapers called 911 at approximately 2:45 p.m. Although first responders have not said what caused the fire, they said flames started on the first floor and spread into the attic, wiping out the second floor of the home. The house was built in the 1850s, and firefighters said the age of the building made the blaze more difficult to extinguish. Fire crews from at least a half-dozen departments helped put the fire out– an effort that took several hours. The fire is under investigation.
