CALIFORNIA, Pa. —
A Saturday afternoon fire in California, Washington County, is under investigation after it left several homes destroyed and more than a dozen people displaced.
California fire Chief Tom Hartley told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 that officials were called to the scene within the 140 block of Liberty Street at 12:16 p.m.
According to the California Fire Department, four homes were destroyed, and two others sustained major siding damage. (Photos below)
"I live on top of the hill. When I came out of my house, I could see not only the black smoke rolling, but there were flames within the smoke," Hartley told Pittsburgh's Action News 4. "One of our guys was at the stop sign on the block here right before the whistle blew, and he heard the yelling going on."
It took the work of 14 total departments from three counties to put out the blaze.
Neighbors said they watched flames shoot out of a duplex, believed to be the starting point of the fire, before quickly spreading to the nearby homes.
“It caught every house around here. There are five or six houses over here that all caught on fire,” said James Robison, who lives on Liberty Street.
The fire chief said six adults and 11 children are displaced and are now receiving aid from the Salvation Army and the Red Cross.
“We were sitting in the house and we saw smoke and thought we heard commotion outside, and we came out and the house right beside my sister’s was completely engulfed in flames,” said Jeff Christner. “So, we came out. The kids were OK, made sure they were out, but they weren’t able to salvage anything.”
Christner was at his brother's house on Liberty Street when the fire started. His sister lives across the street with her boyfriend and four kids. They are all OK, but their home was lost in the flames.
“I’m glad the kids are OK. I feel bad, they lost everything, especially right before school starts and all of that. It’s going to be a lot for them to rebuild,” Christner said.
Christner is doing what he can to get his family through their loss.
“My wife and I started a GoFundMe, and we’re taking donations for that. But also, any household items, clothes, anything because they left with the clothes on their back, they don’t have anything,” Christner told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4.
No injuries were reported. The fire chief said the fire marshal was called to the scene. The cause is unknown.
Christner said anyone interested in donating items should contact him on Facebook. To donate to the GoFundMe, click here.
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