Fire in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, destroys home belonging to "Santa Scott"
A fire Saturday night in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, destroyed the home of Scott Diethorne, who is known as "Santa Scott" to many in Bucks County.
Diethorne said he lost everything in the fire, including his Santa Claus suits. The home is "completely gutted," he said in a video shared on Facebook.
"It's like another dream you don't ever wanna dream again," Diethorne said in an interview with CBS News Philadelphia.
All of his suits were custom-made, and Scott said he is working to get some clothes for the holiday season. He also said anyone who had a Santa appearance booked with him in November should reach out to him because he lost his calendar in the fire.
"I'm not gonna let anybody down," Diethorne said. "I'm gonna figure it out."
The fire happened around 9:45 p.m. at the home on Auburn Road in Fairless Hills, according to the fire department.
Multiple fire departments responded to the blaze and found two dogs and a bird that had died in the fire. No firefighters were injured in the fire.
Diethorne said his family was celebrating one of his children's birthdays when neighbors started calling them about the fire. Scott arrived to see the home where his wife grew up fully engulfed in flames.
"I'll never forget the words, 'Your house is on fire,' and it was like, I just ran out of the restaurant," Diethorne said.
The Fairless Hills Fire Department said that the fire appears to have started in the attic. It's under investigation by the Falls Township Fire Marshal's office.
The Red Cross said it's assisting Diethorne's family following the blaze.
Scott said the support, donations, and community outreach have left him speechless.
"Even today, when I was there trying to see if anything was salvageable, all the people that stopped in front of the house and just the 'I'm sorry it happened,'" he said. "It means a lot, you know?"