Three months after a West Deer fire that resulted in the death of a man and his dog, the cause of the blaze remains unknown, officials said.
“That fire is currently classified as undetermined,” said Kasey Reigner, public information officer for the Allegheny County Department of Emergency Services.
The victim was identified as Van Laskey, 71, by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Multiple emergency crews responded Jan. 28 to the 100 block of Trump Road, off Saxonburg Boulevard, and spent four hours battling flames.
Anthony Creaturo, chief of West Deer Volunteer Fire Department No. 2, said at the time that ammunition stored in the home went off for about a half hour, delaying efforts to douse the flames. Firefighters also faced deep snow around the home and a frozen fire hydrant.
Laskey was the only person home at the time of the fire.