Friday fire levels Kiester Road home in Slippery Rock Twp.
SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — A family of five lost all its belongings Friday morning when a fire destroyed their rental home at 658 Kiester Road.
Bartholomew Mauthe and his girlfriend, Margaret Cumpston, and their children, ages 6, 9 and 16, were not home and no one was hurt.
A passer-by spotted the fire about 7:15 a.m. and called 911, authorities said.
“Fifty percent of the house was fully involved when we arrived,” said Chief Ken Taggart of the Slippery Rock Volunteer Fire Company.
It appeared the fire started in the back of the ranch-style home with a basement.
Firefighters used tankers and water from nearby Slippery Rock Creek and had the blaze under control in about 30 minutes.
Damage to the house was estimated at $150,000, Taggart said.
Nearly everything inside was either destroyed by fire or damaged by water, he said.
Mauthe said he and Cumpston had renter's insurance. The American Red Cross was also called and was providing assistance to the family at the scene.
The Slippery Rock fire department was assisted at the scene by the Harrisville, Unionville, Pine Township, West Sunbury and Marion Township departments.
State police fire marshal Luke Nelson was called to investigate.
