Abandoned house fire in Charleroi ruled arson
CHARLEROI – A fire Saturday at an abandoned house in Charleroi was deliberately set, making it the third arson in the borough since early June.
Charleroi fire Chief Robert Whiten said a state police fire marshal ruled the 6:18 p.m. fire at 807 Prospect Ave. an arson, that it was started on the second floor at the house, which also caught fire in June 2012, that time by accident.
Whiten said the fire marshal said Charleroi appears to have one of the biggest arson problems in Washington County.
“We keep them busy with arson investigations,” Whiten said.
Whiten said he believes most of the arsons in Charleroi have been set by teens with “too much time on their hands.”
Two 13-year-olds are in juvenile custody, charged separately in arsons June 14 at 216 Washington Ave. and one the next day at 735 Fallowfield Ave.
He said three firefighters were lucky to have escaped injury Saturday during an explosion caused by water mixing with a backdraft that blew out glass block windows.
Some people in Charleroi, Whiten said, have criticized the fire department for putting out fires in abandoned, neglected houses, arguing that it should just let them burn down.
Whiten said it would be a dangerous situation to have suited-up firefighters in 90-degree weather for long stretches while the houses burned. And, he said, there is a greater risk of such fires spreading to nearby buildings.