Friday's Fire at Haws & Airy Started By Careless Contractor

According to , the fire marshal released the results of his investigation into the . According to the fire marshal, a contractor using a blowtorch on the roof started the fire accidentally.

“It was workers using a torch of some type, doing work in the gutter areas on the second floor,” Norristown Fire Chief Thomas O’Donnell told The Herald. “We’re not sure what they were doing or attempting to do.”

The crew working on the home reportedly did not have a permit to be there and did not call 911 right away. According to O'Donnell, when firefighters arrived on the scene, the contractors were gone. A sleeping tenant on the third floor was awakened by the the smoke alarm.

According to The Herald, roofers using “torch-down” systems are not recommended for occupied structures because they are a fire hazard.

“It’s a disgrace, to say the least,” said O’Donnell.

Currently, no charges have been filed, but the investigation is still ongoing.