A husband and wife domestic dispute may have been the spark that caused a Penn Hills fire Sunday afternoon.
“It’s a possibility,” police Chief Howard Burton said Monday night. “We don’t believe it was an accident. We believe it was definitely set. It was arson.”
Firefighters were initially called to the 2900 block of Laketon Road just after noon Sunday.
A man, who has yet to be publicly identified, was taken to UPMC Mercy with severe burns.
Penn Hills fire Chief Joe McMeekin told Trib news partner WPXI that day that it appeared the man had “gasoline poured on him and was set on fire.”
Burton said detectives learned about the domestic dispute through the course of the investigation, and are still trying to confirm what happened.
“We don’t know if something was burning in the house and he smelled it and got up, or if he was set on fire first,” Burton said. “He’s not sure. The wife isn’t saying much of anything.”
No charges have been filed and no information about the couple was released.
Penn Hills Fire Marshal Chuck Miller and the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s office are working to determine the cause of the fire.
No other injuries were reported. Anyone with information about the incident can contact Penn Hills police at 412-342-1188.
