Crime & Safety

Fire Marshal: Cheltenham Fire 'Extremely Difficult,' Still Under Investigation

The house at 1200 Ansley Ave. is now condemned, following Thursday's fire.

Cheltenham Township Fire Marshal Joseph O’Neill said the Thursday afternoon house fire in the corner of 12th Street and Ansley Avenue was particularly tough on crews — because of the extreme weather and the structure itself.

“It was a large mansion and it was extremely difficult for us because of its age, and the fact that the whole house was framed with wood — getting to the fire was really labor intensive," O’Neill said. "And the weather conditions were just horrible. We had to keep calling people in because everybody kept getting wiped out.”

See the original post, and about 20 pictures from the scene, here.

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Crews several fire companies responded to the large, 3-story, single-family house at about 1 p.m. Thursday. No one was injured but an Ogontz Fire Co. firefighter was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure; he was released later that day, O’Neill said.

According to O’Neill, the fire started in the front corner of the basement and worked its way up to the second floor.

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While crews were battling the fire, several people were overheard saying that the house had an “illegal electrical hookup.” Crews from PECO and the Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal were on the scene late Thursday afternoon.  O’Neill said he is aware of what people were saying, but would not confirm or deny any such hookup.

“It’s still under investigation, but we won’t discount anything,” he said. “We’re all going to get together to look at the materials and then make a determination.”

Signs that read “condemned” are posted on the house and every window is boarded up. O’Neill said the house is uninhabitable for the time being, but added that it’s possible the house could be rehabbed.

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