Shenandoah row home fire displaces 3 people; no injuries reported
Mar. 13—SHENANDOAH — Fire displaced three people, along with several dogs and cats, and damaged two adjoining homes in the borough late Monday morning.
Firefighters were called just after 11:30 a.m. and found fire in the attic of the row home at 417 W. Coal St.
Crews worked for about 30 minutes to bring the flames under control. They contained the damage to the attic area and roof of the home and to the home at 419 W. Coal St.
The home at 419 W. Coal St. was vacant at the time.
Shenandoah Fire Chief Richard Examitas said that he declared the fire out at 12:30 p.m.
He said that when firefighters arrived, the occupants of 417 W. Coal St. were dumping buckets of water on the blaze but had been unable to put it out.
Examitas identified the occupants as Jose Gonzalez, his fiancée, Leslie Rosa, and a child, Nathalia Perez.
The chief said the family declined assistance from the American Red Cross Tri-County Chapter.
On the sidewalk, dogs in a crate watched the excitement around them. The dogs and several cats were rescued from the 417 W. Coal St. home along with the residents.
Examitas said the fire started in the attic of 417 W. Coal St. and was ruled accidental.
He called the cause "electrical in nature." The chief also said that Gonzalez is the owner of both homes.
The fire went to a second alarm, bringing volunteers from other communities to the scene.
Examitas said he struck the second alarm for the extra manpower because the fire was in the attic and the two homes are attached to other row homes.
"I was concerned it was on a row of four homes that it didn't jump to the others," he said. "It was pushing pretty good from the roof (of 417 W. Coal St.) when we got here."
The Pottsville Fire Department Rapid Intervention Team was called but then canceled before arriving in Shenandoah.
No injuries were reported.
