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Fire badly damages home in Ambridge

AMBRIDGE, Pa. — Firefighters were called to a 3-story single-family home along Maplewood Avenue in Ambridge on Friday.

When crews got there, heavy smoke and flames were shooting from the third floor windows.

A man we talked to said his wife and 16-year-old daughter smelled smoke when they were in the home, and got out.

"There's a space between the outside wall and the inside wall. Once it got into that it got up into the ceiling area of the 3rd floor into the roof area," said Ambridge Fire Chief Rob Gottschalk.

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At one point, the house had to be evacuated because it got too dangerous to continue battling the blaze from the inside.

Gottschalk said there is heavy fire damage to the third floor and water and smoke damage throughout the second and first floors.

He said he's unsure if it's a total loss, but knows it would be very difficult to rebuild.

Since the family can not go home yet, the Red Cross is helping them with a place to stay.