Fire causes significant damage to Shaler home

No one was injured when a fire caused heavy damage to the back of a Shaler home Tuesday morning.

The fire was reported just before 5:45 a.m. at 602 Bluestone Drive, Shaler Police Lt. Sean Frank said.

Crews contained the fire within one hour. The cause of the blaze is unknown and is under investigation.

Fire departments that responded included: Shaler Villa, Middle Road, Undercliff, Elfinwild, Etna, Aspinwall and Sharpsburg, as well as the Shaler Fire Marshal and the Allegheny County Fire Marshal.

A neighbor shared this picture on the left of the house on Bluestone Drive engulfed in flames. The damage to the back of the house is extensive. No one was hurt. #wpxi pic.twitter.com/gpRY1NJcp8

— Lori Houy (@WPXI_Lori) July 9, 2019

Rhiannon Patterson, 19, lives at the home with her boyfriend’s family and her dog, Bear.

She said her boyfriend’s mom, dad, brother and Bear were home at the time of the fire, but they managed to get out of the house safely.

“Nobody’s hurt,” she said. “Everybody got out of the house fine.”

Bear ran away from the scene but was found a few hours later.

One firefighter suffered from heat-related symptoms and was treated and released from the hospital, Frank said.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family.

Donations to help the family can be dropped off at the Shaler Area School District administration building on Mt. Royal Boulevard on July 9 and 10, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., in the board room, and at Stoneridge Church from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Any gift cards, toiletries, clothing and monetary donations are greatly appreciated.