Crime & Safety
Fire Damages Ross Home
A neighbor with a garden hose kept the flames under control until firefighters arrived.
(Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly indicated the fire had occurred in West View)
The Ross and Allegheny County Fire Marshals are investigating the cause of a fire, which damaged at home at 100 William Street in Ross Township Thursday afternoon.
The fire broke out after 5 p.m. on the back porch of the brick, Cape Cod style home.
Find out what's happening in North Hillsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
No one was hurt. Homeowner Edward Palma told North Hills Patch that he was in the basement, watching television, when he noticed a flame on the back porch.
"I look up and see through the basement window what looks like to me a sparkler. The fire started in the window well, I’m thinking, I don't know," he said. "By the time I got upstairs, it was already engulfed, the whole back porch, and the roof.”
Find out what's happening in North Hillsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Palma said he had left a shower stall on the back porch, which he planned to install inside the home. That fueled the fire. Luckily, a neighbor armed with a garden hose managed to keep it from spreading.
“I ran out front, while I was out front a gentleman came and grabbed the hose and had a lot of it contained before the firemen got here," he said. "All the major flames were already done. He was still working on the door, which was still burning, when the firemen got here.”
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
