Most of what Adam Motter could salvage Thursday fit into the bed of his family's pickup truck.

Piled haphazardly were a washer and dryer, two freezers, some dishes, clothes and a few children's bicycles.

Motter, 35, poured gas into the truck's tank, the smell of the fire that destroyed his home still strong in the air.

"This is about it," he said. "Almost all the photos are gone."

Motter's family - which includes his wife, seven children and two pets - is one of several displaced after a fire swept through four York City homes Wednesday night.

To Motter's surprise, the family's guinea pig and Sulcata tortoise survived the blaze despite not being rescued until around 6 a.m. Thursday.

The tortoise, a baby, was found under the refrigerator.

"The firefighters couldn't even see the (guinea pig) cage when they were fighting fire in the back room," Motter said. "They're both fine - eating well."

Investigators have ruled the fire was caused by arson. They found "three distinct points of origin" on the second floor at 127 N. West St., said Greg Halpin, deputy chief of the York City Fire Department.

The task of finding out who is responsible is now in the hands of the police department, Halpin said. No one was living in the building where the fire started.

The fire was reported just as the 34th annual Fourth of July celebration at the York Expo Center and the York Revolution game at Sovereign Bank Stadium were letting out. It caused about $300,000 in damage and destroyed four rowhouses. A fifth sustained heat damage.

One firefighter suffered first- and second-degree burns to his face and wrist, and was treated and released at York Hospital. Another was treated for heat exhaustion.

All residents got out safely, but several have been displaced. The Red Cross is assisting 34 people in five families with food, shelter and clothing, said spokeswoman Leslie Brengle.

According to several residents, this is the second time in a month that the vacant rowhouse at 127 N. West St. caught fire.

Keith Logan, 40, said he's not waiting around for a third incident. Logan said he, his fiance and four kids have lived on the West Street block since December

"We're moving," he said. "I don't want to stay here much longer."

Concerned about the potential for collapse, the city's building-code official said Thursday that he has ordered the four homes demolished.

Steve Buffington said he is particularly worried about 127 N. West St., where the fire started. The home's support structure and its roof burned in the fire, Buffington said.

Potential legal issues could delay demolition. For example, Buffington said, one of the owners might disagree and fight against the demolition.

"There's no doubt they need to be demolished. It's just a matter of how quickly they need to be demolished to protect the public," he said.

- Erin James may also be reached at ejames@yorkdispatch.com.

Original story about fire