A fire in Shenandoah Monday morning has been ruled accidental.
Around 11:30am, Monday, emergency personnel were called to 417 West Coal Street in Shenandoah for a possible house fire.
Firefighters were quick to arrive on scene and found a working fire in the attic. Crews had some difficulty getting access to the fire due to the condition of the structure.
Firefighters had the fire under control in just under an hour.
According to Shenandoah Fire Chief Rick Examitas, the homes at 417 and 419 sustained damage and displaced 3 people along with their pets.
Chief Examitas said a State Police Fire Marshal investigated and ruled the fire accidental and its origin as "electrical in nature".
The borough has been on edge the past several weeks due to 3 fires that have been ruled arson within a 2-week period. A fourth fire was also ruled arson on December 30th, 2022.
Chief Examitas still urges residents to be on alert for any suspicious activity and to contact local police, State Police, Fire Marshal, or Schuylkill County Communications if they see any squatters in vacant homes.
Photos Courtesy of Don Scicchitano/D. Schicchitano Photography