Two dead in Washington house fire
Two people died Tuesday morning when fire ripped through their Washington home as they slept.
Mike Jones/Observer-Reporter
Mike Jones/Observer-Reporter
Washington fire Chief Chris Richer walks toward the scene of a house fire at 165 E. Katherine Ave. in the city that killed two people Tuesday morning.
City firefighters were called to 165 E. Katherine Ave. shortly after 6 a.m. and found flames shooting from a second floor bedroom window, fire Chief Chris Richer said.
Washington County Coroner Tim Warco identified one of the victims as Kenneth Guy III, 39. The second victim has not yet been identified. The cause and manner of their deaths are pending the results of an autopsy.
It took firefighters about 30 minutes to extinguish the blaze, and when they entered the house, they found the two victims in bed, Richer said.
Richer said there appeared to be hoarding conditions inside the house, which may have led to the fire spreading quickly throughout the structure. He added that the fire appeared to start somewhere on the first floor and spread to the upper floor apartment where the victims were located. The house sustained heavy damage, Richer said.
“(Hoarding) creates fuel for it to move ferociously through the house,” Richer said of how fast the fire spread.
Nate Somerville, who lives directly across the street, said the property is owned by MaryJo Guy, who used to live at the home but apparently relocated to a different address in September.
He said the two victims – whom he said were MaryJo Guy’s adult son and live-in girlfriend – suffered from various “health issues” and were unable to care for MaryJo Guy, who also suffered from health problems. He said they lived in the home’s upstairs apartment where the bodies were found.
Fire departments from Canton, South Strabane, North Strabane and Peters assisted Washington at the scene. The state police fire marshal, who is investigating the cause of the blaze, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.