East Pittsburgh Street in Greensburg was temporarily closed Wednesday afternoon as crews battled an apartment kitchen fire.Normally, the cause of a fire takes longer than 24 hours to find. In this instance, it was caught on camera. A cat caused the fire.”That’s the first time I’ve ever witnessed ,” Greensburg Fire Chief Tom Bell said. “A cat jumped up on the stove, ignited the stove with the burner, and that’s what started the fire.”The accident couldn’t have come at a worse time. “This was right around four o’clock, the busiest time of the day. We had heavy traffic here,” Bell said. “I noticed fire and heavy smoke conditions in between the buildings. We found that the fire was contained in the back part of the building, which is the kitchen.” The evidence investigators needed to deem the fire accidental was given to them less than 24 hours after the flames spread. “They had a video camera inside the kitchen and was able to see this actually happen,” Bell said. “It was very fortunate that we got to see this and rule it accidental because the proof is in the camera.” Several people, many of whom were occupants, were forced to evacuate the building. “Fortunately, there was no personnel injured between firemen and occupants, but two cats perished in the fire,” Bell said. “The one that jumped up on the stove was the lone survivor.” The kitchen will need to be completely replaced, but the building is not a complete loss. Residents are expected to come back once the smoke clears in a few days.”I’m sure it won’t be long before they get going on this,” Bell said. “Hopefully they’ll be able to get going and get four apartments back and rented out again.” Bell told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 that he had heard of pets being responsible for fires before, but seeing it for himself emphasizes the importance of fire safety with animals in the house. “If you can, put your dog, lock it in a room where there is nothing. This could have been something that maybe, keep the cats out of the kitchen, kept them in the living room,” Bell said.Investigators would not release the surveillance video of the cat. It’s being withheld for insurance reasons and the privacy of the homeowners.
GREENSBURG, Pa. —
East Pittsburgh Street in Greensburg was temporarily closed Wednesday afternoon as crews battled an apartment kitchen fire.
Normally, the cause of a fire takes longer than 24 hours to find. In this instance, it was caught on camera. A cat caused the fire.
“That’s the first time I’ve ever witnessed [an animal causing a fire],” Greensburg Fire Chief Tom Bell said. “A cat jumped up on the stove, ignited the stove with the burner, and that’s what started the fire.”
The accident couldn’t have come at a worse time.
“This was right around four o’clock, the busiest time of the day. We had heavy traffic here,” Bell said. “I noticed fire and heavy smoke conditions in between the buildings. We found that the fire was contained in the back part of the building, which is the kitchen.”
The evidence investigators needed to deem the fire accidental was given to them less than 24 hours after the flames spread.
“They had a video camera inside the kitchen and was able to see this actually happen,” Bell said. “It was very fortunate that we got to see this and rule it accidental because the proof is in the camera.”
Several people, many of whom were occupants, were forced to evacuate the building.
“Fortunately, there was no personnel injured between firemen and occupants, but two cats perished in the fire,” Bell said. “The one that jumped up on the stove was the lone survivor.”
The kitchen will need to be completely replaced, but the building is not a complete loss. Residents are expected to come back once the smoke clears in a few days.
“I’m sure it won’t be long before they get going on this,” Bell said. “Hopefully they’ll be able to get going and get four apartments back and rented out again.”
Bell told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 that he had heard of pets being responsible for fires before, but seeing it for himself emphasizes the importance of fire safety with animals in the house.
“If you can, put your dog, lock it in a room where there is nothing. This could have been something that maybe, keep the cats out of the kitchen, kept them in the living room,” Bell said.
Investigators would not release the surveillance video of the cat. It’s being withheld for insurance reasons and the privacy of the homeowners.