A damaged electrical cord attached to a portable heater caused Wednesday afternoon’s fire in an apartment on the top floor of a Tarentum high-rise, according to the Allegheny County Department of Emergency Services. The fire at Rachel Carson Hall, reported shortly before 2:30 p.m., was ruled accidental, emergency services Chief
Mary Ann Thomas | Tribune-Review
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The fast-moving blaze that engulfed a three-story home in the 300 block of East Ninth Avenue in Tarentum on Thursday started in the kitchen, according to fire officials.
Residents in the home were able to safely exit. The American Red Cross provided assistance to five adults who lost their home, said Lisa Landis, spokeswoman for Red Cross, Greater Pennsylvania Region.
The agency gave the fire victims shelter in local hotels and other resources for immediate needs. The Red Cross will also work with the victims on recovery planning and to find alternate housing, Landis said.