Local fire ruled arson
CONNELLSVILLE – The state police fire marshal has ruled arson as the cause of a fire early Wednesday morning on the city’s South Side. The fire broke out at 1:34 a.m. in a two-story structure, located at 913 Aetna St. There were no injuries.
The house, which is owned by Nancy Nicholson, sustained moderate damage that was primarily confined to the downstairs hallway and the stairway leading to the second floor.
Nicholson could not be reached for comment.
Firefighters from Connellsville Fire Department and New Haven Hose Co. responded to the scene assisted by Fayette EMS.
City fire investigator Vincent Traynor said no one was home at the time of the fire that evidently started in the home’s entrance.
Traynor added that he is not sure if the fire is related in any way to a rash of arsons that have continued to occur on the city’s South Side, the last one on Nov. 14 that damaged an East Washington Avenue apartment complex along with four other complexes.
The fire was the third in a two-block radius and the fourth to occur in the month.
While there were residents in the complex at the time of the fire, no one was injured.
According to police reports, the first arson-related fire occurred on Oct. 21 around 6 a.m. and destroyed a vacant residence at 913-914 S. Pittsburgh St. in addition to causing heavy damage to a neighboring home where the owner escaped without injury.
A second fire took place on Nov. 4 that destroyed another vacant home at 110 Green St. That fire was also reported to have erupted at 6 a.m.
Both houses were reported as being uninsured.
Compared with the other fires, Cooper said Wednesday’s blaze possessed more “dissimilarities than similarities,” especially the day and time it occurred.
While no one reported seeing anything before the fire erupted, Cooper added that one neighbor heard a noise that sounded like glass breaking.
“Obviously, we’re looking at everything going on with these fires,” said Cooper.