Fire guts North Strabane home
Firefighters from multiple departments have been called to 87 Long Drive in North Strabane Township for a house fire.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Smoke pours from a fire Monday on Long Drive in North Strabane Township.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Firefighters direct water onto a blaze Monday on Long Drive in North Strabane Township.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
A firefighter climbs through the smoke to fight a fire Monday on Long Drive in North Strabane Township.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Firefighters at the scene of a blaze Monday on Long Drive in North Strabane Township
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
A house heavily damaged by fire Monday on Long Drive in North Strabane Township
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
North Strabane Township fire Chief Mark Grimm holds some ammunition removed from a house on Long Drive in the township after a fire gutted the structure Monday.
A fire caused extensive damage to a North Strabane Township house but no injuries Monday afternoon.
Township fire Chief Mark Grimm said no one was at home when the fire started and consumed most of the structure on Long Drive by the time firefighters were able to get it under control about 3 p.m., almost two hours after it was reported.
Grimm said members of his department were dispatched to the fire about 1:15 p.m. following a reported explosion.
Grimm said it “appears that (the fire) started in the back of the house.” It’s unclear what caused the fire.
“Our investigators along with the state fire marshal are investigating that as we speak,” Grimm said.
He described one of the homeowners as an “avid gun shooter” who had a large quantity of ammunition stored inside.
“Even though there was a lot of ammunition, everything that he had was properly stored,” Grimm said. “So it’s not a concern on that point, it’s just that once it heats up, the ammunition’s going to shoot out, and that was our biggest question, for our own safety.”
Firefighters doused the structure with water as flames shot out of the roof and smoke billowed around the structure. Rounds could be heard bursting intermittently while they did their work.
Property records list the owners of the house as Charles II and Pollyann Augenstein.
Chartiers and Canonsburg fire departments were among the other personnel that responded.