Fire marshal investigating fatal West Newton blaze

Firefighters and paramedics were not able to resuscitate a woman who was pulled from her apartment in West Newton on Thursday after a fire in her living room, fire Chief Craig Sanner said.

The flames were contained to the home of Joyce Marinos, 76, who lived on the 11th floor of Filbern Manor. A state police fire marshal is investigating the cause of the 7:15 p.m. blaze.

The senior citizen complex on North Water Street was partially evacuated while firefighters worked. Sanner said the fire was extinguished quickly with the help of an emergency hose inside the building.

Those who did evacuate were allowed back home later in the evening, with the exception of about eight or nine residents of the 11th floor. They either stayed with family or were helped with hotel accommodations by the American Red Cross, Sanner said.

Yellow caution tape remained up at part of the building Friday morning. Windows were broken out of a unit on the 11th floor, and the exterior had signs of smoke damage.

The building is near Giant Eagle and Goehring Park.

Jon Livi, who lives on the second floor, said he saw Marinos every once in a while and described her as nice and friendly. He and his aide sometimes joked with her that she was closer to God being on the 11th floor.

Livi said staff members handled the situation well.

“They took control,” he said.

Firefighters checked neighboring apartments and those above and below Marinos’ home for any extension of the fire. Sanner said he called for extra manpower and had a lot of support from neighboring companies.

”All the fire companies there did a terrific job,” he said.

An autopsy for Marinos was scheduled for Friday, Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson said.