Chesco makes presumptive identification of fire victim
The Chester County Coroner’s Office has made a presumptive identification of the victim of last week’s house fire on Media Road in East Nottingham but will not release the name until DNA tests come back, said Patty Emmons, public information officer for the Chester County Coroner’s Office.
Emmons said the body has been turned over to family members and the coroner will release the victim’s name as soon as they have a definitive ID which she estimated could be one to three months. Emmons did not have a cause of death.
The Pennsylvania State Police reported their investigation is continuing into the blaze. Trooper Jeff Purcell estimated damage to the building and items to be $250,000.
Purcell added the fire is not believed to be suspicious.
The fire, which destroyed the home on the 200 block of Media Road, was reported a 6:33 a.m. Oct. 16. A second alarm was quickly sounded, bringing units from across southern Chester County as well as Lancaster County.
A neighbor, who didn’t want to be identified, said flames were shooting 60 feet into the air with embers landing on the street at the height of the blaze.
By mid-afternoon firefighters could be seen searching through debris and officials from the East Nottingham building department posted signs declaring the building uninhabitable.
Neighbors said the property was a dog kennel back in the 1980s and that the female resident kept to herself. She reportedly took care of a number of rescue animals and officials were working to find temporary accommodations for a number of dogs that had gotten loose following the fire.