Victim identified in deadly apartment fire

CASTLE SHANNON, Pa. — Investigators are trying to determine what caused a deadly fire in Castle Shannon.

Flames broke out at an apartment building in the 4100 block of Greenridge Road around 11:40 p.m Wednesday.

The fire chief told Channel 11 when firefighters arrived, they had trouble getting into the apartment because the victim was behind the door.

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Crews got a hose through and put the fire out before it spread to other apartments. Most of the damage was contained to the area around one chair.

Related: Woman, 3 children rescued from fast-moving apartment fire

William Paul Unrath Jr., 64, died in the fire. His caretaker says he was always in either his wheelchair or a lift chair, as an amputee.

“He was just a great guy, big heart, I’m gonna miss him. I was supposed to come this afternoon. I did his caregiving for him, his laundry, his shopping. I just, there’s this loss. It’s a shock. It is a shock,” Karen Schutz said.

Schultz told Channel 11 Unrath was a smoker and was on oxygen, but the fire marshal has not reported a cause just yet.

Channel 11 also spoke to Unrath's family and said he was a proud navy veteran.

Several people who lived in the apartment building were evacuated because the utilities were turned off and there was no heat.

Cox Media Group