Heat, stored ammunition complicate Vandergrift fire response
About a dozen departments responded to a fire that tore through the upper floors of a Vandergrift home Friday morning.
No one was injured in the blaze at 404 Emerson St., according to Vandergrift No. 1 VFD Chief Randy Dunmire.
He said the numerous crews on site did a great job battling the fire, but the initial response was complicated by about 20,000 rounds of ammunition in the home, which began to discharge as firefighters entered the structure.
That caused crews to wait for about 10 minutes until they heard the last blasts before continuing their efforts.
Though the cause of the fire remains unclear, Dunmire said it appears it began in the rear of the house on the third floor.
The first floor of the home was mostly free of fire damage, but it had extensive water and smoke damage, he said.
Neighbors began to notice smoke coming from the home around 8 a.m.
Don Cocco, 70, who lives next door, said he and others began banging on the door to alert their neighbor, who was not home at the time.
Jane Hartill, 78, said she had dropped off laundry at her home and went out for food about 20 minutes before her neighbors alerted her that her house was ablaze. She said the response from the fire crews was “fantastic.”
About two hours after the fire, she and her family were working to retrieve photos and keepsakes from the first floor as well as the urns of her late husband and son.
Hartill said she is concerned about the fate of her black cat, Emerson, named after the street she lives on.
Cocco said he was “so appreciative” of the work of the fire crews, which left his home largely spared of damage.
The fire chief said nearby hydrants worked well throughout the blaze, but crews brought water tankers to supplement the supply.
The heat within the home and outside took its toll on the dozens of firefighters at the site, Vandergrift No. 1 Safety Officer Jeff DeLuca said.
After two hours at the scene, numerous departments rotated through personnel to snuff out flames on the third floor, which reached more than 100 degrees, DeLuca said.
Many freshly relieved first responders were visible recovering with cold towels and water near the home.
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