Tarentum awards contract to demolish fire-damaged home on Lock Street

Tarentum Council has awarded a contract to tear down what remains of one of two Lock Street homes destroyed by fire on Feb. 15.

Investigators ruled that the accidental fire started after a pot of food had been left on a stove with a burner in the “on” position. The fire started at 208 Lock St. and spread to neighboring 204 Lock St.

The Lott family home at 208 Lock St. was insured, and the insurance company is handling its demolition, according to borough officials.

Demolition of the other home, occupied by Danielle Taylor and two daughters, falls upon the borough because the owner did not have insurance.

Council approved paying Ron Gillette just over $10,700 to tear down that house. Councilman Jim Bonner said Gillette had submitted the lowest price for the work. It was not immediately known how many bids the borough obtained or what those prices were.

Council will consider having borough Solicitor David Regoli file a lien on the property for the cost of the demolition after the work is done, possibly at its April meeting.

Help for the Lott and Taylor families poured in from the Highlands area community in the wake of the fire. That included fundraising efforts with $10,000 goals on GoFundMe.

As of Wednesday, the effort for the Lott family had exceeded the goal, collecting $12,665 from 171 donors. Organizer Caitlin Willard said the family was “overwhelmed with messages and calls but they are amazed by this great community!”

The owner of 204 Lock lives out of town and had been notified it was up for sheriff’s sale some time ago because of unpaid property taxes, according to borough code enforcement Officer Anthony Bruni. Bruni said they had not kept the homeowner’s insurance up to date.

The collection for the Taylors had raised $8,721 from 121 donors.

On Wednesday, Danielle Taylor expressed her thanks to the community for its help.

Taylor and her two daughters, ages 11 and 22, have been staying at the Quality Inn in New Kensington since the fire.

“We can’t find a place,” Taylor said. “There’s nothing to rent, nothing available that’s worth it to us.”

In an update on the fundraising effort for Taylor, organizer Christina Strellec said Taylor faced another hurdle, because she is a beautician who ran her business out of her home. Taylor lost all of her equipment and has not been able to work since the fire.

Trying to find a new home has become like “a full-time job,” she said, adding they would like to stay in the area and need a house with at least three bedrooms.

Two dogs and a cat from the Lott home were presumed lost. Seven dogs, including two Taylor was fostering, were rescued from her home.

Taylor said she found her three cats, which had been missing — still in the house two days after the fire.