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February 11, 2009

Furnace may be cause of trailer fire

A furnace is suspected of causing a fire Tuesday morning that destroyed a manufactured home in Slippery Rock Township.

Chief Bill Lunn of the Slippery Rock Township Volunteer Fire Department, said the home, which he described as a double-wide trailer, was fully engulfed in flames when he arrived.

�We got the call at 1:17 a.m.,� he said.

Six fire companies remained at the scene at 152 Crestview Lane until about 3:30 a.m.

The home was rented by Susan McGuire, who was at work at Wal-Mart at the time of the fire. The Beaver-Lawrence Chapter of the American Red Cross put the displaced up at the Comfort Inn on Butler Road over night.

John Stubbs, Red Cross executive director, said the family will go to his office Tuesday to sign up for other assistance through the agency.

Noting the advanced stage of the fire, Lunn said he was glad to hear that no family member was at home at the time of the blaze. He said a neighbor had reported the fire.

�He said he�d heard crackling, looked out and saw the fire,� Lunn said.

Assisting the Slippery Rock firefighters were volunteer departments from Scott, Shenango and Taylor townships and Portersville and South New Castle boroughs.

�I thank the mutual aid companies,� he said. �We all worked well together and had plenty of manpower.�

Property owner Warren Reagle said five mobile and manufactured homes are located on an acre of his property. He said he contacted McGuire Tuesday morning and learned she is all right.

�The fire chief said the furnace or a heater was at issue,� Reagle said. �I don�t know which it was. I know she had been using electric heaters. I don�t know if any were on last night.�

He also said he had offered McGuire access to a two-bedroom unit that he has, but said he does not yet know if she will be taking it.

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