Abandoned house destroyed in New Kensington, neighbor angered that his house damaged, too

Matt Rhodes knew the abandoned house next to his New Kensington home was trouble waiting to happen.

On Wednesday, it happened.

A brush fire reported just before 3 p.m. spread to the back of the vacant house at 849 Franklin St. and then to his house next door.

The fire destroyed the abandoned house and caused considerable damage to the house that included Rhodes’ apartment on the first floor and another on the second, New Kensington fire Chief Ed Saliba Jr. said.

Rhodes said he has lived there for 14 years. He said the house at 849 has been empty that whole time, and he has chased away squatters and argued with city officials about it.

It was marked with a red “X” — a sign to firefighters that it’s unsafe. Saliba said there were holes in the roof before the fire burned it wide open.

“It’s always been an issue,” Rhodes said.

A state police fire marshal was investigating the cause of the brush fire. A red flag warning for fire conditions was in effect at the time, according to the National Weather Service. Saliba noted the dry conditions and wind.

Saliba said no one was hurt.

Rhodes said he was at work in Greensburg when the fire broke out.

“I was just trying to get home to get my dog,” he said, standing in a yard across the street. “Everything in there can be replaced.”

Neighbor Madison High knew Rhodes wasn’t home because she didn’t see his car. But she knew his dog, Ruby, was inside. She said she told firefighters, who broke open the front door, allowing Ruby to escape.

While Rhodes was understandably frazzled by what was going on, Ruby seemed fine, at one time happily wriggling on her back in a lawn across the street.

High said she saw flames at the back of the house. Although she lives across the street, it was a bit too close for comfort.

“It kind of scared me,” she said. “Nothing like this has happened to me before.”

Alyshia Holmes, who lives at the other end of Franklin, said she grew up in a family of firefighters and was somewhat used to it.

When she smelled smoke while doing her mom’s nails, Holmes at first thought it was her neighbor burning wood.

Then she heard the firetrucks.

“The whole house was in flames,” she said. “I just hope everyone’s OK.”

Brad Scherf, who lives nearby on Anderson Street, said the first thing he heard were sirens. His wife looked out a window and saw the fire.

“That’s everybody’s worst fear,” he said. “Hopefully, nobody gets injured.”