Fire-damaged home causes concern in Monessen
By JEFF STITT
jstitt@yourmvi.com
A Monessen house that was badly damaged in a March 11 fire appears to be supported by a series of ratchet straps, some of which are anchored to large dumpsters.
Mayor Matt Shorraw is worried about the safety of the structure, which is located at the corner of Ninth Street and Marguerite Avenue, and said the property owner is in the process of tearing the house down.
“I am concerned that it is unsafe and have been since the fire occurred and demolition hadn’t taken place quickly,” Shorraw said. “That is why the city took action to have the owner demolish the property.
“It is obviously a safety hazard, which is why the city will monitor the situation as closely as possible until the demolition is complete.”
Firefighters from Monessen and several other Mon Valley departments spent three hours battling the blaze at the house, which Municipal Fire Chief Delmar Hepple said had been vacant since at least 2012. At the time of the fire, he said the structure was heavily damaged and needed to be demolished.
Today, the charred home has no front door. There are several large holes that are not boarded up and appear large enough for a person to fit through to get inside.
On the front of the house, ratchet straps can be seen wrapped through the top of a window frame on the second floor and going through a window frame of what appears to be the attic. Another ratchet strap stretches from the second floor on the front of the house to the left side.
There are also multiple straps woven through two windows on the left side of the home and stretching up over the roof. From there, the straps wrap around the chimney and then down the right side of the house toward the ground, where they are anchored with tension to two dumpsters — one on the street and one in the yard.
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