Two New Kensington residents were displaced Wednesday evening when an apparent electrical fire began damaging their home.
Firefighters from New Kensington, Arnold, Tarentum and Logans Ferry Heights responded to the call shortly before 9 p.m. at 19 Cherry St.
The home is tucked away at the end of the block surrounded by trees, enclosed by a brown wooden fence and across from a West Penn Power pole yard.
New Kensington Fire Chief Ed Saliba Jr. said the call originally came in as smoke in the house.
When crews arrived, they discovered heavy smoke coming from a living room and a fire inside a false wall necessitating more manpower.
Saliba said initial investigation indicates the fire was accidental — caused by an electrical short to an outlet possibly drawing too much energy.
A man and a woman were able to escape unharmed. The home had working smoke detectors.
“Firefighters quickly put the fire out and ventilated the structure,” Saliba said. “We had approximately 45 to 50 volunteer firefighters. … The firefighters did an outstanding job acting very quickly to extinguish this fire. There is a considerable amount of damage to the front room because we had to remove part of the wall and ceiling, but the home is salvageable.”
Crews cleared the scene around 10:20 p.m.
The fire remains under investigation by New Kensington and the state police fire marshal.
