Monessen blaze sparked by malfunction
MONESSEN – A house fire that killed two cats in Monessen Thursday morning was caused by an electrical malfunction in a kitchen stove, a state police fire marshal ruled.
Monessen fire Chief Chris Rhome said it was the same conclusion he reached on the cause of the blaze at the 102 Elm St. home of Kayla Snyder.
He said the stove was not turned on when the fire erupted shortly before 9 a.m.
Snyder said she was not at home when the fire broke out.
“I was at my boyfriend’s house, and I got a call that my house was on fire,” Snyder said while smoke was still seeping from the roof.
Snyder said she has insurance on the dwelling in the Mon Valley city in Westmoreland County.
Rhome said Thursday a fire-restoration company had secured the house and determined that it can be repaired.
The fire gutted the kitchen and caused smoke and water damage throughout the 1 ½-story frame house.