Couple loses everything, including dogs, in Findlay Township fire

FINDLAY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A Findlay Township family is alive, but grieving the loss of its home and two pets after a fire.

"This isn't easy. Starting from zero is never easy," said Vic Mannella, who knows that to be true because this is the second time a fire at his Findlay Township home took what he loved most.

In 1985, his wife died in a massive blaze.

"I lost her and everything and had to rebuild this again."

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This time, Vic and his second wife, Joann, lost their beloved two dogs that were inside when the fire started.

"Whenever I pulled onto scene, the top part of the garage door was just gone," said Lt. Jessica Lamb with the Imperial Township Fire Department. "The fire was just rolling out. There was smoke from pretty much everywhere in the house, you could tell that it had been burning for quite some time already."

The Allegheny County fire marshal is now investigating.

Mannella told Channel 11 he thinks the fire started in his basement.

"I had nothing running. I have no dehumidifier. no washer no dryer. I didn't have anything on. I checked it when I left. Nothing at all."

Neighbors are now helping the couple and everyone is shocked that the Mannellas are going through a fire tragedy once again.

"I wanted to get the dogs out and we lost the dogs," he said.

Cox Media Group