Local fire crews were called out Tuesday morning for a working structure fire at 714 Ridge Avenue.
While no one lived in the one side of the duplex,
Nancy Ion has rented the right side since last May. She said there was little warning when the fire broke out at approximately 9:30 AM.
(photo courtesy of the Ford City Fire Department FaceBook page)
“I went to the bathroom and I came straight through (the house) and I was sitting on the porch waiting for Aire-Ride or Town and Country (Transit bus) because they were taking me to the doctor,” Ion said. “I was sitting on the porch three or four minutes and they drove up, I got in their car, and the driver said, ‘Do you know your house is on fire?’ I never heard nothing. My smoke alarms never went off. I got out and looked because I thought they were talking about (the house next door). The whole back of it was on fire. I never heard nothing, seen nothing, or smelled anything. And the people back there were already calling 9-1-1.”
Volunteers from Ford City, Ford Cliff, Manor Township, Kittanning Township, Kittanning #1, East Franklin, Rehab Kittanning #6, and Kittanning #4 Air, as well as Ford City Ambulance crews battled the blaze for well over an hour to bring it under control.
Ford City Fire Chief Ron Wojcik was investigating yesterday to determine the cause.
“When I arrived, the whole back of the building was totally engulfed with flames and smoke shooting out the back of the building.”
The duplex is owned by Richard Hughes.