Investigation underway at Harrison house slated for demolition

A fire at a Harrison home that was targeted for blight remediation is under investigation by the Allegheny County Fire Marshall.

Emergency crews were dispatched at about 6:40 a.m. Monday for a two-alarm fire at 52 North Canal Street in the Natrona section of the township.

“There is water damage throughout and it is definitely uninhabitable, not that it wasn’t before,” Citizens Hose fire Chief Sean Jones said.

The vacant home is overgrown by shrubs and trees, so much that the front of the property is almost entirely hidden. It is among several properties that township officials were hoping to raze during clean-up efforts.

Jones said the fire appears to have started in the attic. Flames ran along the crawlspace through the length of the house, he said.

Fire crews from across the region responded, including all Harrison departments, all Tarentum departments, Freeport, Lower Burrell and Murrysville EMS.

Two firefighters suffered minor electric shocks during the blaze but neither suffered any injuries, Jones said. One was evaluated by Citizens EMS.

Both returned to the job.

“We had (the firefighter) sit for a little while and he went back out with no problem,” EMS Chief Jim Erb said.

Jones said, “We’re not sure exactly how it happened but they were touching the ladder and then made contact with the house. They felt a buzz but were perfectly fine.”

Firefighters worked at the site for about four hours. The overgrown shrubbery worked against their efforts, making the job more cumbersome, Jones said.