Crime & Safety

Fire Causes Major Damage to Home in Pine Township

Fire call for home on Brennan Road came in a little after 8 a.m. Thursday.

A fire did major damage to a Pine Township home Thursday.

Nearly a dozen fire companies responded to the fire in the 200 block of Brennan Road, just north of Route 910, after the call came in between 8 and 8:15 a.m., said Capt. Tim Flaherty of , who is the fire marshal for Pine Township.

He said he did not know what caused the fire or where it started. The Allegheny County Fire Marshal's office is investigating, he added.

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The home has been owned by Edward William and Catherine M. Dietz since 1950, according to Allegheny County property records. It was built in 1932, records show.

The second floor and roof of the home were significantly damaged, Flaherty said. Also, part of the first floor was damaged and there was water damage, he added.

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The home has had multiple additions and renovations, which created multiple layers of material, said Flaherty. 

"It was difficult to fight once it got in the roof," Flaherty said.

When Wexford Volunteer Fire Co. first arrived, heavy smoke was coming from the roof, he said. 

"Within the first 10 to 15 minutes it started to burn through the roof," said Flaherty.

By 1:45 p.m., most of the fire crews had left the scene. Flaherty estimated that 11 companies had responded.

The family living at the home declined an interview request. They were gathered in the backyard while firefighters cleaned up.

One firefighter was treated for an increased heartbeat, but no other injuries were reported, according to a source at the scene.

Earlier in the day, firefighters moved in shifts in and out of the home on Brennan Road on the western side of Pine Township.

Units at the scene included fire departments from , Marshall, Bradford Woods, Franklin Park, Ingomar, Highland, CranberryZelienople and Adams.


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