None injured in house fire near courthouse
Neither of the occupants were injured when their home caught fire on West Diamond Street in Butler, just a stone’s throw from the Butler County Courthouse.
The fire was first reported shortly before 1:15 p.m. According to Chris Switala, chief of the City of Butler Bureau of Fire, the cause of the fire still is under investigation.
The fire eventually spread to all three floors of the building, and at one point, smoke from the blaze was visible for blocks.
“The fire hit all levels of the structure,” Switala said. “Mostly on the exterior, but it did get into some of the wall and attic spaces as well.”
The heat from the blaze was so intense it melted part of the driver’s side front door of a black Nissan Rogue parked next to the home.
During the response, firefighters broke a window on the uppermost floor to assist in ventilation, and water was seen spewing from the roof at one point.
While the investigation has just started, Switala believes the fire started at the bottom of the home and worked its way up, most likely from one of the corners and possibly from outside.
“It took about an hour to get the fire under control, mostly because it was up in the attic spaces,” Switala said.
The two occupants of the home also had two pets, neither of which were injured. Despite escaping injury, the occupants have been displaced and have reached out to the American Red Cross for assistance.
In addition to the City of Butler Fire Department, the Butler Township Volunteer Fire Department, VA Butler Fire and Emergency Services Department, Butler City Police, and the Butler Ambulance Service were also called to the scene.
