Fire Damages Pennsylvania EMT’s Home

Scott Cline was working his shift as an EMT firefighter in Jeannette when a call for a house fire came across the radio around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.

As the call came in, Cline said he realized it was his address. “Anything and everything” raced through his mind, he said.

“I couldn’t get across town fast enough,” Cline said.

A state fire marshal is investigating the cause of the blaze at 524 Scott Ave. in Jeannette, the home Cline and his family have owned for eight years.

He said his wife, two children and dog got out of the house safely.

Jeannette fire Chief Joe Matijevic said the fire started on the exterior of the two-story home where the wood siding meets the foundation. The cause is still undetermined, he said.

“It was a really windy night,” Matijevic said. “There’s a multitude of reasons it could have started.”

Matijevic said a neighbor called 911, then went and woke up Cline’s wife and children to get them out of the house.

Most of the damage occurred on the home’s left side and front porch, Matijevic said. There is smoke and water damage inside, Cline said.

Matijevic said a state fire marshal is doing the initial investigation and then will turn it over to the city. He estimated damage at $15,000 to $20,000 but said the home can be repaired.

County 911 dispatchers said the scene was cleared around 1:40 a.m. Wednesday. Matijevic said Wednesday afternoon that the investigation is ongoing.

One of Cline’s co-workers at Jeannette EMS Inc. established a fundraising page Wednesday to help the family meet their insurance deductible and replace belongings lost in the blaze. The page has a goal of raising $2,000.

In the first eight hours, eight donors had contributed $310. Those interested in donating can do so online at gofundme.com/GSUT3W.