Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Fire damages two homes
Twin homes were unoccupied; no one injured in blaze
COATESVILLE » A two-alarm fire seriously damaged two unoccupied twin homes in the 600 block of Coates Street shortly before 10:30 Monday morning. Nobody was injured in the blaze.
Coatesville Fire Chief Gary Alderman said first arriving crews had fire shooting out the third floor windows of the home at 615 Coates St. when they arrived. The home backs up to a hill and power lines in the front created access issues for ladder trucks at the scene.
“Nobody was living in either home at the time of the fire,” said Alderman. “There had been an electrical fire in the home on the left back in November.”
“The second alarm was because of manpower issues,” Alderman said. “Normally on a single room and contents fire we can handle it with city units, but this is an old building and the fire got into the walls. It required extensive crews for overhaul.”
Firefighters could be seen ripping down the ceilings and walls of both homes. Melted vinyl siding revealed layers of old tar shingles underneath. Other firefighters used hose streams to ventilate air into the upper floor windows.
“I didn’t see how it started,” said Krystal Morales as she watched from her home across the street. “A neighbor called me and told me to move my car which was parked in front of the house. I’d seen the resident coming and going from the house on the right recently
but I don’t think they were staying there.”
Firefighters had the blaze under control shortly before noon and were on scene until after 1 p.m. Among the units assisting were: Washington Hose Company EMS, Keystone Valley, Modena, Wagontown, Thorndale, Minquas of Downingtown, Westwood, Sadsburyville, Cochranville, Honey Brook, West Whiteland and Coastesville VA hospital Fire Department.
Chester County Fire Marshal John Weer said the cause of the fire is undetermined at this time and under investigation.