Faulty wiring blamed for Mount Carmel fire; injured chief may be home today

MOUNT CARMEL - Faulty wiring sparked the four-alarm fire Monday that burned through seven homes on South Walnut Street, according to investigators.

Meanwhile, James Reed Sr., a borough police chief who went into cardiac arrest while fighting the devastating fire, may return home today.

Borough police Lt. Chris Buhay, Mount Carmel's fire investigator, said the fire originated in a first-floor living room wall shared by 215-217 S. Walnut St., and that it was accidental.

"It wasn't an outlet," Buhay said Tuesday. "It was wiring."

Those homes are a total loss, Buhay said, adding that it's likely neighboring homes at 213 and 219 S. Walnut also are destroyed.

The properties at 211, 215, 217 and 223 S. Walnut were insured. Tenants of the latter two did not, however, have renter's insurance, Buhay said. Uninsured were 213 and 219 S. Walnut, both vacant, along with 221 S. Walnut.

The fire was reported to 9-1-1 about 11:40 a.m. Monday. First responders

from five counties manned more than 50 emergency vehicles. It took nearly four hours to extinguish the blaze. Thirteen people were displaced.

An investigation began Monday shortly after the fire was extinguished, and resumed at 9 a.m. Tuesday. Buhay was joined by Trooper Kirk Renn, a state police fire marshal, Mount Carmel Township Fire Marshal Brian Hollenbush and Mount Carmel Borough Fire Chief Daniel Cimino.

'Barrage of fire'

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Faulty wiring blamed for Mount Carmel fire; injured chief may be home today