The Cumberland County Coroner’s Office was called to the 1500 block of West Trindle Road east of Carlisle just after 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, according to county dispatch and Coroner Charles Hall.
Dispatch confirmed the call came in around 7:09 p.m. When firefighters arrived, there were visible flames on the first and second floors of the home, the Cumberland County Department of Public Safety said.
Officials on scene said the fire started on the first floor and spread upward through the house. Due to a lack of fire hydrants in the area, tanker trucks were called in to battle the flames.
A male individual was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the coroner’s office. His identity has not yet been officially released. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 20, Hall said.
As crews worked into the night, smoke could be seen coming from the rear of the single-family home while firefighters doused hotspots. As of 11 p.m., roads in the area remained shut down. It is unknown if anyone else was injured. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Meanwhile, community members have identified the victim as Alexander Reynolds of Carlisle in online tributes and fundraising campaigns.
Reynolds lived in Carlisle and worked in inventory control for DB Schenker, according to his social media profile. He was originally from Santa Rosa, California.
Two GoFundMe pages have been launched to support his wife, Jessica Horch, and their three boys.
One fundraiser states that in the fire, “she lost her husband, her three boys lost their father, and the family lost their new puppy, two beloved cats, and their home.”
A second fundraiser says the blaze “took the life of her husband, Alex, as well as their beloved animals, and destroyed everything they owned—including all of the belongings of their three boys.”
As of Thursday, the fundraisers had collectively raised more than $21,000 to help with temporary housing and essential needs.
Friends described Reynolds as fiercely loyal, generous, and always ready to help.
“RIP brother Alexander Reynolds this s--- hurts deep man i am truely going to miss you dawg,” Anthony Cox wrote. “We talked damn near every day… but if your wife or kids need anything i got em … i love u dog … rest easy champ.”
“Alexander Reynolds was a devoted husband, father, and an amazing friend,” Keri Kreider wrote. “This loss is absolutely devastating.”
Logan Auker said Reynolds was “the rarest kind of friend — the one who showed up without hesitation, every single time life demanded it,” recalling how Reynolds rushed to the hospital at 3 a.m. after a motorcycle crash and helped him find a job when he was struggling.
“You never measured friendship by convenience; you measured it by what was truly needed,” Auker wrote. “You were the friend who would lend your last dollar and give the shirt off your back without a second thought.”
Additional details about Reynolds’ life and funeral were not immediately available. His loved ones are invited to share details with Daily Voice by emailing [email protected].
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