Fire marshal believes fire was not arson
LUZERNE TWP. – The latest fire in Luzerne Township does not appear to be arson, according to the state police. Cpl. Thomas Maher, a state police fire marshal from the Uniontown station, said the fire at 105 Thompson 2 Road on Thursday evening appears to have started in the living room of the home, where the residents had their television and other electronic devices.
Maher said he has classified the cause of the fire as “undetermined” due to the limited nature of his investigation.
“I couldn’t get in there safely. The first floor was about to collapse. Speaking with them, it didn’t sound like there was anybody that had anything in for them and would want to burn them out,” Maher said.
The house was owned by Susan Schubert, who lived there with her boyfriend, Raymond Hice.
According to Salvation Army Capt. Christopher Blessing, the couple lost everything in the fire that started Thursday around 5:45 p.m. and kept firefighters from eight companies on the scene for about four hours.
There have been five fires in the Tower Hill 2/Thompson 2 area of Luzerne Township that have been ruled arson in recent months.
Maher said the investigations into those fires are continuing, with more interviews to be conducted. Two additional fires caused extensive damage, making it impossible for investigators to determine if they were arson or accidental, Maher said.