SHENANGO TOWNSHIP

A Shenango Township family, along with their pets, escaped injuries but lost their home in a fire Thursday morning.

The house, which was built around a trailer, at 55 Burrows Road was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived at 11:25 a.m., said Shenango Township Fire Chief Joe Varga. Shenango Township Police Chief Ron Preston said cans inside the house exploded, but Varga did not have a cause for the fire on Thursday and did not know where in the house it started. A state fire marshal was scheduled to come in Thursday afternoon, he said.

Carol Adams, a neighbor, said she heard an explosion from the house. She came outside and saw smoke, she said. Another neighbor, who declined to give her name, said the house was fine when she passed it at 9:30 a.m.

Doug Fette, the home’s owner, had gone out to buy paint at about 10 a.m. His wife, Robyn, was at work and their two children were in school, he said.

Fette, who returned shortly after noon, was distraught at the sight of his still smoldering home. Mrs. Fette arrived shortly afterward. Neighbors and family members were on hand to comfort the Fettes.

"What can I say? It’s my home," Fette said later.

Fette said the family’s pets -- a dog, two cats, three birds and a rat -- along with some of the furniture were in the detached garage because he had planned to paint the kitchen. All of the animals were safe, he said. He added there was no paint in the house at the time of the fire.

"We just got new carpeting," said Fette, who added his family had lived there since 1983. "I’m just glad it didn’t happen at night."

Varga said the garage became hot from the fire but wasn’t damaged. The driver’s side of a Volkswagen Beetle parked in the driveway was scorched. Varga did not have a damage estimate Thursday but said the Fettes have insurance.

Preston said the family was offered Red Cross assistance but said they had a place to stay.