Atlas fire ruled 'suspicious'

BY LARRY DEKLINSKI

And Rachel CArta

ATLAS - A fire that ravaged an abandoned home behind West Saylor Street early Friday morning has been ruled suspicious.

The same building was reported to police just two days prior after a witness saw burn marks on the property.

The structure, located in an alley behind 118 W. Saylor St., caught fire at approximately 4:30 a.m. Friday.

Mount Carmel Township Chief of Police Brian Hollenbush, who is also the township fire marshal, called the fire "suspicious in nature."

He said there were no utilities running to the building at the time of the fire. An exact point of origin will be difficult to determine because of the extensive damage of the blaze, Hollenbush said.

Thirty minutes after the fire was first reported, pieces of the home lay on the street and only a cement block wall and a portion of the front porch roof, held up by metal beams, remained standing. Heat from the flames melted and warped siding on neighboring homes. The temperature was so intense that several pine trees across the street were still hot to the touch after the fire had been extinguished.

"It was fully involved when I arrived on scene," said Atlas Fire Chief Chas Gasperetti. "We basically

surrounded the structure and threw water on it."

Although nothing could be done to save the burning building, firefighters surrounded the structure with several hose lines to prevent any further damage to other homes. The sides and roofs of the homes were also inspected for hot-spots.

Soon to be featured in The News-Item's "Bright Spot, Sore Spot," the home Monday had several broken windows, had been graffitied and large amounts of wood and debris had accumulated on the front porch and side of the building. The home is one of many in the area that are abandoned and in need or repairs. According to Gasperetti, the home had been vacant for at least 15 years and did not have electricity running to the structure.

Bruce Opra, of Atlas, owner of the home for the past seven years, said the building was "in the process of being renovated." Opra admitted that two days prior to the fire, a friend told him someone had tried to start a fire in the rubbish, carpet and plastic on the front porch. Opra did not report this to police.

"I guess that was my first mistake," said Opra. "I should have said something."

Although Opra did not report the burn marks, Cindy Confair, of 122 Saylor St., did. Concerned about what could happen to the home or her own, Confair spoke with two Mount Carmel Township police officers on Wednesday about the burn marks on a piece of carpet on the porch.

"I went to the cops yesterday to tell them I saw burn marks on a carpet on the front porch," said Confair. "They told me they would put it in the computer and keep an eye on it."

Opra did not have insurance, Hollenbush said.

The property is located several feet from Savitski Brothers Coal Sales, a breaker that burned in early February. That fire was ruled arson by Hollenbush and the investigation is continuing.

Responding were AREA Services, American Hose Ambulance Company, fire police and firefighters from Atlas, Strong, Mount Carmel and Shamokin.