Family escapes fire at Fox Chapel home

A family of four and two dogs escaped a large fire that started early Friday in the garage of their million-dollar Fox Chapel home, police said.

Emergency crews were called at 6:40 a.m. to a home at 30 Sweet Water Lane, where flames could be seen shooting through the roof.

Fox Chapel police Chief David Laux said the homeowner went into the garage, which was under construction, and found it full of smoke.

The homeowner removed two dogs from their kennels in the garage, Laux said. He was able to get his family out of the house. No one was injured.

“Everybody got out OK,” Laux said. “The family’s fine, the dogs are fine and all the first responders are fine.”

The fire spread to other parts of the property. The garage and the building behind it were destroyed. The main house sustained smoke, water and fire damage.

“It’s not a total loss … they’re going to be able to rebuild it,” Laux said of the main house.

Laux said the wind made the fire difficult to fight. Firefighters from several companies including Fox Chapel, Dorseyville, Aspinwall, Blawnox and Pleasant Valley were called to the scene.

“It’s very windy up there and I think the wind has just exasperated their efforts,” Laux said Friday morning. “They get part of it out, and the wind reignites it and they have to continue to fight it.”

The blaze was under control by 1 p.m., Laux said.

The five-bedroom house is valued at about $1.14 million, according to Allegheny County real estate records.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s office.

Madasyn Czebiniak is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Madasyn at 724-226-4702, mczebiniak@tribweb.com or via Twitter @maddyczebstrib. TAWNYA PANIZZI contributed to this report.