Man escapes fire at Fifth Street home in New Kensington

A state police fire marshal will investigate the cause of a fire Wednesday night that displaced the sole occupant of a home on Fifth Street in New Kensington.

Firefighters from New Kensington and Arnold responded to the fire about 7:30 p.m. It appears to have started in the basement of a home in Fifth Street’s 300 block, between Industrial Boulevard and Cherry Alley.

The man who lived in the house escaped without injury and was being offered assistance by the Red Cross, according to B.J. Kersey, assistant chief of New Kensington Volunteer Fire Company No. 2.

The home is insured, Kersey said. He said flames extended from the basement into the first floor.

David Metz, captain at the fire company, said Thursday afternoon the fire marshal had not gone to the home to investigate yet but was expected some time during the day. The cause remains undetermined.

Metz said the home sustained a lot of heat and smoke damage, but most of it was contained in the basement, where the man who lived in the house had a woodshop. The fire captain said the damage appeared to repairable.

Metz said the man is staying with his daughter. A spokeswoman from the Red Cross said they hadn’t heard from him yet but will be ready to assist him whenever they receive a call.