Fire damages Vandergrift duplex; no one hurt

Fire caused moderate damage Sunday afternoon to half of a duplex in Vandergrift, a borough fire chief said.

No people or pets were hurt in the fire in the 100 block of McKinley Avenue, said Randy Dunmire, chief of Vandergrift No. 1. McKinley is an alley between Grant and Washington avenues.

The blaze, reported shortly before 1 p.m., took firefighters about 40 minutes to bring under control. In addition to both Vandergrift departments, firefighters from Parks, Hyde Park and Lower Burrell responded.

Dunmire said the fire appeared to have started in a gutter and burned into the second-floor wall of one of the two side-by-side units, which was occupied by two adults who had three cats. He said the fire might have been ignited accidentally by smoking material.

Dunmire said the two occupants were out of the building when firefighters arrived. Their cats were hiding inside but were found.

Damage to a bedroom and bathroom on the second floor from fire, smoke and water was moderate, but Dunmire said it cannot be occupied until repairs are made. The Red Cross is providing assistance.

He credited the quick response by firefighters with helping to keep damage to a minimum.

Dunmire said the building is a rental, and the occupants have insurance.

The other half of the duplex, occupied by one person, was not damaged and remains habitable, Dunmire said.