Unattended cooking possible cause of fatal Parkesburg fire

PARKESBURG, Pa. (WPVI) -- A house fire in Parkesburg, Chester County claimed the life of a wheelchair-dependent woman.

It was around 4:45 a.m. Tuesday when firefighters were called to the 300 block of Main Street.

When they arrived the house was already engulfed in flames, and they weren't able to get inside safely, thanks to what appears to be a hoarding situation.

Peter Mango from the Keystone Valley Fire Department explains, "One of the things that crews encountered was the heavy accumulation of belongings as they entered the house, and that obstructed their efforts to some extent."

Firefighters removed piles of debris from the house where they found the body of the 30-year-old victim.

The victim's mother died this past March and friends say she needed constant care.

Rhett Lipscomb is a family friend. She tells us, "As far as getting in and out the car, her mother had to assist her. As far as getting in and out of her car, getting into the wheelchair - like I said, everything. She needed assistance with everything."

Tiffany Dais lives next door. The fire has heavily damaged her house. Flames broke through the wall of her daughter's bedroom.

"We just heard a bunch of screaming and we got out," she said, "because we saw smoke coming through over to our house."

Sources say the house that burned was equipped with working smoke detectors. Everyone got out safely except the woman who needed assistance.

Five cats and a dog also perished in the fire.

Mango says, "Upon their arrival they [firefighters] encountered heavy fire conditions from the first floor, and were able to make entry, again to knock down the fire and found the victim. They removed the victim and unfortunately it's a fatality."

State police and county fire marshals continue their investigations. There has been no official cause declared, but sources tell Action News that it appears the fire was sparked by unattended cooking.