Fire seriously damages home of New Kensington man, his daughter

A New Kensington man and his daughter were assisted by the Red Cross with temporary shelter Thursday night after a fire tore through their three-story home.

Fire Chief Ed Saliba Jr. said crews were dispatched at 7:42 p.m. for a fire at a single-family dwelling in the 500 block of Fourth Avenue.

All five city fire stations, as well as firefighters from Plum, Lower Burrell and Arnold, responded to the scene.

No injuries were reported. No information about the fire victims was immediately known.

“We had smoke and fire in the second-floor bathroom,” Saliba said. “The fire got into the wall, traveled into the third floor. It started to go toward the rear and between the ceiling and the roof across to the southside (of the home).

“The guys inside had to pull the ceiling and pull the walls to get to it. The outside crew, with the ladder truck and the hand ladders, they vented the third floor to get the heat and the smoke out.

“There is a considerable amount of fire and smoke damage to the third floor and the second-floor bathroom, and water damage in the first floor and the basement.”

Saliba said there were no issues with manpower or water supply.

Buildings on both sides of the house were not impacted.

Saliba said crews had the fire under control within 39 minutes from dispatch.

A state police fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.

Murrysville Medic One had its rehab team to help keep firefighters refreshed in the summer heat.

“I can’t say enough for how hot it was this evening,” Saliba said. “These volunteers did an excellent job. They made a good stop.

“We had the potential to lose three structures because of the close proximity, and they are all wooden-frame structures. There was a risk of it spreading. (It did not) with the quick action of the volunteers.”

Crews were seen packing up hoses and preparing to leave about 9:20 p.m.