Family Escapes When Fire Engulfs Home Undergoing Remodeling Work

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A Perry South family is homeless just days after the Christmas holiday after a fast-moving fire broke out Wednesday afternoon while they were doing some remodeling work.

The two-alarm fire broke out just before 3 p.m. at a home in the 200 block of Marshall Avenue in the Perry South neighborhood.

Joe and Louise Garner live in the house with their two grown children. They all got out safely, and Joe was able to rescue their dog from the basement.

The Garners say they've been doing some remodeling work, and were stripping some wood just before the fire broke out.

"We were in the room, the outlet sparked and we got out. We were stripping wood," said Louise.

The family has lived in the home for 15 years.

"We were doing some small remodeling, and then all of the sudden I heard my wife yell, and I turned around and looked, there was like an outlet spark," said Joe. "I think some of the stuff may have fell, she was using or whatever. Not blaming her or anything, but I think the stuff just dripped, you know how when you're cleaning off the wood, I think it just dripped on there and it just went up so fast."

The fire burned on the second floor, and the house was gutted.

The Pittsburgh Fire Bureau is investigating.

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