A fireman escorts Melanie Palko from her home following the fire yesterday morning. She had concluded showering when the fire broke out behind the shower stall in the wall.
Kittanning fire companies were busy Monday morning with two separate calls.
Shortly after 9AM, firemen responded to the Eagles on South Water Street for the smell of wires burning. According to Kittanning Fire Marshal Buzz Kline, an air handler motor in the attic overheated.
The shortly after 12 noon, fire fighters from all three Kittanning hose companies responded to the report of smoke coming from inside a wall in the bathroom at 126 Rebecca Street. According to resident Alan Davis, Melanie Palko had finished showering when she first smelled smoke. According to Kittanning Fire Marshal Buzz Kline, the small fire broke out in the petition behind the shower and burn a hole inside the shower wall. Firemen pulled the shower enclosure away from the wall and found old clothing that had been stuffed in the wall by previous renters. Kline said the temperatures were just right for spontaneous combustion to occur. Palko was escorted by firemen to a neighbor’s home and Kittanning Hose Co #6 medical teams consulted with her. She did not require medical assistance.
Davis said that he and Palko rent the residence.
Firemen used large fans to air out the house.
Fireman Earl Kline and his son, Collin, discuss the situation during the fire call at 126 Rebecca Street in Kittanning yesterday.