Lower Burrell apartment fire that displaced at least 34 remains under investigation

Tom Haley lost more than belongings when fire tore through Lower Burrell’s Cedar Crest Apartments on Thursday, displacing him and at least 33 other residents.

Haley said he moved multiple times while his late wife, Shirley, was in nursing homes, but he settled in at Cedar Crest after moving there in November 2018. His wife died last November.

“I had everything settled,” Haley said of his Cedar Crest apartment. “Now I find myself having no place to live long-term, having to rebuild my entire living situation again.”

A fast-moving fire tore through the three-story, 24-unit apartment complex Thursday afternoon.

The fire likely started in the building’s attic, said Mark Marmo, chief of Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Department No. 3.

Firefighters who first arrived on the scene saw billows of smoke coming out of the building’s eaves.

“The fire grew exponentially and quickly because of the design of the building sharing a common roof with no fire breaks,” Marmo said.

Fire severely damaged the third floor and burned away much of the building’s roof, while the first and second floors suffered significant water and smoke damage, Marmo said.

The Westmoreland County fire marshal’s investigation will continue next week, according to Marmo. He said the fire does not appear to be suspicious, but the cause and origin remain undetermined.

Haley collected what belongings he could from his first-floor apartment Thursday and Friday.

“Everything stinks and has dirty water on it,” Haley said.

His son helped him retrieve important personal papers Thursday. He said they had to use a flashlight to find their way around — electrical service to the building had been shut off, and the apartment had about a foot of water in it.

Haley was staying with family.

On Friday, the Red Cross was working with five families, in addition to the five families they put in local hotels, to find longer-term housing and meet other needs. The agency offered meals at the apartment site and tried to connect with other apartment residents. Those needing assistance should call the Red Cross at 800-422-7677.

“When you have a devastating experience like a fire, you have needs you don’t think of such as medications to replace,” Red Cross spokeswoman Lisa Landis said.