Investigators seeking cause of fire that destroyed West Mountain home

Joseph Kohut, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
Updated ·2 min read

Feb. 14—SCRANTON — Hours after flames consumed a vacant West Mountain home, Scranton fire investigators returned Tuesday to the charred and tumbled ruins to learn how it started.

Fire inspectors Joseph Hoban and David Megotz, fire prevention officer Dan Frantz and city police Detective Melissa Forsette picked their way through the rubble of 501 Parallel Drive. The fire destroyed the two-story home, leaving only two blackened walls.

Calls of a fire came in to the Lackawanna County 911 Center around 12:30 a.m. Flames and smoke were visible from the city's downtown.

Scranton Fire Department Assistant Chief Brian Scott requested help from two additional engine companies. Tanker trucks from nearby volunteer fire companies provided water to remedy the lack of fire hydrants on Parallel Drive. Firefighters worked for five hours to bring it under control.

The cause of the fire remained unknown later Tuesday. Megotz led a yellow Labrador retriever named W'Asyk through the scene. The dog is trained to detect more than a dozen different types of accelerants used to start and worsen fires.

"It will be tough" to determine the cause of the fire because of the level of damage done to the structure, according to Fire Chief John Judge. Officials continue to investigate.

A city code enforcement official later arrived at the fire scene to take pictures of the damage. He mentioned to Forsette the city plans to seek an emergency demolition.

The Parallel Drive home, which sits on more than 6 acres, appeared to have been vacant for some time. A photo taken in November on Google Maps' Street View shows a dilapidated and overgrown structure, a porch strewn with rubbish, broken windows and holes in the roof.

Lackawanna County assessment records show the property is owned by the children of former Scranton School Director Thomas Genova, who was fatally shot Jan. 26, 1981, in the parking lot of the district Administration Building. His murder, which left the city stunned, remains unsolved 42 years later.

Christopher Dolan, staff photographer, contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9100, x5187; @jkohutTT on Twitter.