Crime & Safety

Fire Chief: Paint Rags in Dryer Could be to Blame for Pine House Fire

The home on Old State Road is more than a century old.

Firefighters believe they have determined the cause for a blaze leaving it uninhabitable.

Wexford Volunteer Fire Company Chief Tim Flaherty said the fire is believed to have originated in a dryer located in the laundry room on the first floor of the home on Old State Road.

“Some rags or towels used with paint cleaning solvents were run through the wash,” he said. “It appears that they caught fire in the dryer while it was operating.”

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Flaherty noted there typically are warnings posted on the side of washer and dryer doors advising that clothing exposed to flammable and combustible liquids should not be placed inside.

Monday’s blaze in the laundry room quickly spread through the building. Flames could be seen shooting from the roof of the three-story home, which was built more than a century ago.

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"The house is pretty old, so there were a lot of void spaces in attic and the roof structure," the chief said Monday of why the blaze spread so quickly.

Flaherty said one of the owners was at home when the fire started. She and two dogs escaped unharmed.

Firefighters later rescued a cat from the burning building.  

Allegheny County property records identify the homeowner as Adam Cohen. The restored colonial-style house was built in 1861.

Flaherty estimated property and content damage to the home at $200,000. The Allegheny County Fire Marshal has not finalized his investigation yet, he said.

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