Cat ignites stove and sparks apartment fire in Westmoreland County, officials say
A cat started an apartment fire in Greensburg on Wednesday that killed two other felines, authorities in Westmoreland County said.
Crews were called to the fire on the 200 block of East Pittsburgh Street around 4 p.m. A fire broke out in the kitchen of a ground-floor unit inside the small apartment complex. The fire set off an automatic alarm and prompted a large response that shut down the surrounding area for over an hour.
"We actually know what the cause of the fire was," Greensburg Fire Chief Tom Bell said. "It was accidental, due to a pet. The cat jumped up on the stove, ignited the stove with the burner, and that's what started the fire."
Bell says that throughout his long career as a firefighter, he has heard of pets starting fires. However, he saw the moment the feline started the fire thanks to a nanny-cam inside the apartment.
"It was very fortunate that we got to see that and rule it accidental because the proof is in the camera," Bell said.
Two other cats were killed in this fire, but the cat that lit the stove survived. All the tenants for the four-unit building are currently displaced. The interior of this building does need some rehabilitation, but Bell says that once that rehabilitation is done, the tenants should be able to get back into their apartments.
As for the video of the cat on the stove, the Greensburg Police Department currently is in possession of it and says it will not release it to the public until the insurance companies have a chance to view it.
There is no word yet on whether or not the property manager will be reevaluating their pet policy.