Crime & Safety

Dormont VFD Continues Investigation of West Liberty Fire

The cause of last week's fire in the 3200 block of West Liberty Avenue has not been determined.

A week after , there still aren't a lot of clues as to what started the flames.

Jeff Arnold, deputy chief of the , said they were able to rule out some scenarios, but are still investigating the cause of the March 13 fire.

“It wasn’t electrical,” Arnold said. “They could pinpoint the origin of where it started, but they can’t pinpoint what it was.”

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Arnold said the fire ignited at the back of the building at 3227 West Liberty Ave, in a second-floor apartment. It could have been caused by a candle or a cigarettes, Arnold said, but he said that is speculation, and an exact cause of the fire has not been determined.

The fire caused between $70,000 and $80,000 worth of damage to the buildings, which house several businesses on the first floors and apartments on the upper floors. Arnold said the buildings could be restored.

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Jon Boris, an employee at at 3223 West Liberty Ave. said the business was without power during the two days following the fire, but that no damage occurred. A few doors down, employees at McManus Heating & Cooling said their business lost power and water, but they also had no property damage.

Thomas Blanco, owner of AllState Insurance at 3227 West Liberty Ave., could not be reached for comment prior to this article’s publication.

The Red Cross assisted at least eight residents living between 3223 and 3229 West Liberty Ave.

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