Amishman M.C. Troyer stood outside his two-story frame home Monday night with his daughter, watching helplessly as his adjacent harness shop was engulfed by fire.

An employee of the Last Minit Mart on state Route 208 in Wilmington Township, Lawrence County, saw the flames and billows of smoke rising from a half-mile away at about 10 p.m. and called 911.

The Troyers, who already were in bed, got out of the house safely before the flames ignited the edge of their roof.

"I was sleeping," said 56-year-old Katie Troyer. "The police came and woke us up."

New Wilmington police entered the home to alert the family that the building abutting their home was on fire.

"I forgot to lock the door," Miss Troyer said. "It's a good thing I didn't."

Troyer, 79, who has owned the harness shop for about 30 years, said he believes the fire was caused by a coal stove inside it.

Troyer estimated he had about $50,000 worth of material and equipment inside the building, where he would repair horse harnesses and make new ones.

He had been planning to sell the shop, and a man had been there to look at it earlier in the day, he said.

The building was gutted. Troyer said he and his neighbors probably will rebuild it.