Home burns on same block where mother and son died in Sept., 2012
Police say a suspicious fire happened in the early morning hours Sunday on E. Chestnut St., just doors away from the row home where a city woman and her young son died in a fire in September. Above, emergency responders attend to more than 30 displaced people at the time of the September fire.
COATESVILLE — The city’s Police Department is looking for leads on what they say was arson early Sunday, just months after a house fire on the same block killed a mother and her young son last fall and left dozens homeless.
Investigators say fire broke out in the early morning hours Sunday at the home at 591 E. Chestnut St. — currently under renovation from damage in the September fire that burned through a number of row homes on the block. Police said no one was living in the building at the time, but a contractor, apparently working on the building, was sleeping there. He escaped injury, police said. No other injuries were reported, police said.
While the fire is being described as an arson, investigators are not releasing any other details, due to the ongoing investigation of the incident. The city’s police are being assisted by the State Police Fire Marshals and the Chester County Fire Marshals.
In the September fire that displaced more than 30 people, subsequently ruled an accident, Elizabeth Izquierdo, 44, and her 5-year-old son, Imanol, died in the fire, which spread from one dwelling to one on either side, leaving much of the block damaged.
Assisting the city fire department at the scene were Engine 38 of Thorndale, Engine 76 from the Veterans Association, Engine 44 from Westwood, Engine 31 from Sadsburyville, Air 46 from Downingtown, Engine 37 from Modena, and Ladder 49 from East Brandywine. Fire units from Gap & Cochranville covered the city while the city units were working on the blaze.
Anyone with information related to this arson is asked to contact the Coatesville Police Department 610-384-2300.
