What was the cause of this house fire in Jerome, Somerset County?

Beth Ann Miller, The Daily American
·2 min read

Fire personnel from multiple local companies worked most of Thursday night and again on Friday morning to extinguish a fire that destroyed a home in Jerome, Somerset County.

The initial call to Somerset County 911 came in at 7:46 p.m. Thursday, and crews from the following fire departments were dispatched to the scene at the 100 block of Coal Avenue: Jerome, Conemaugh Township, Boswell, Windber and Richland Township. The Conemaugh Township EMS and the Conemaugh Township Police Department, the Conemaugh Township Municipal Authority and Penelec also responded.

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Crews were then called out again at 3:25 a.m. and 8:16 a.m. on Friday to douse recurring hot spots from the fire.

Fire crews from Jerome, Windber and Richland Township departments returned for the third time Friday morning to put out hot spots at a Jerome house fire.
Fire crews from Jerome, Windber and Richland Township departments returned for the third time Friday morning to put out hot spots at a Jerome house fire.

Firefighters had to contend with an unexpected hydrant issue on the first call, said Ginger Miller, deputy fire chief of the Jerome Volunteer Fire Department.

"On the initial attack on the house, we were connected to the hydrant and we were flowing water, and then the hydrant sheared off at the ground. We lost initial water pressure and had to establish another water source," she said.

"We were able to adapt and overcome with the hydrant issue and establish another water source, but the stairs burned out to the second floor. We could not get to the second floor, and that's what keeps rekindling."

Miller said the house was a two-sided duplex but one family was living at the residence. The family members were able to get out of the house, but a cat died in the fire. The home is a total loss. One firefighter had a minor injury from the incident as well.

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"There was no heat to the house and they were using space heaters (for heat)," she said. "The cause was a space heater in the back corner kitchen area."

This photo shows the back of the home on Friday morning, with wisps of smoke still rising from the house.
This photo shows the back of the home on Friday morning, with wisps of smoke still rising from the house.

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Residents "need to be very careful" when using supplemental space heaters in their homes, Miller said.

"They should not be plugged into an extension cord, they should be plugged straight into the wall (outlet). One (heater) per outlet, and I wouldn't run anything else on that outlet at the same time. Make sure they're from a decent manufacturer — don't buy cheap — and make sure it's maintained (properly)."

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: House fire in Jerome caused by improper use of space heaters