Duplex fire displaces residents; 2 cats die

Three residents were displaced by a fire Monday afternoon in Birdsboro that appears to have started accidentally outside the front of a duplex, borough Fire Marshal Kenneth Templin said Tuesday.

The fire was discovered about 12:30 p.m. in front of 232 Schuylkill Road. Initial reports indicated possible entrapment.

An emergency medical crew arrived first and reported heavy fire outside the front of the house. Strong winds fanned the flames, causing the fire to spread to the adjoining house at 234 Schuylkill, officials said.

The resident of 232 Schuylkill was the only occupant at the time. She got out safely, but her two cats perished, Templin said.

No one was home in 234 Schuylkill at the time, he said. Firefighters removed two rabbits and a cat, giving the pets

oxygen through masks designed for animals.

Crews needed about an hour to control the flames.

The resident of 232 and her 4-year-old child and a man who resides at 234 are being assisted with emergency shelter and other needs by the American Red Cross.

Templin had not determined a damage estimate, but said the homes can be repaired.

The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental, even though investigators are unable to pinpoint a cause.

Templin said he wouldn’t rule out the possibility that dry leaves or mulch were ignited by a tossed, lit cigarette from a passerby, but investigators found no evidence to indicate what sparked the fire.

“We could not identify the source of what ignited that area,” he said.