Man Trying To Thaw Frozen Pipe Sets House On Fire

An man in Irwin, Pennsylvania trying to thaw a frozen pipe in his home succeeded but he also started a house fire in the process.

Irwin Fire Department Chief Keith Gray says the fire started in the basement and spread to the first floor.

Several fire departments responded to the fire, however, the house sustained plenty of damage as the fire had already spread throughout the basement and first floor of the house.

The homeowner told officials he was trying to thaw out the pipe with a kerosene torch.

"Best thing to do, if you have frozen pipes, call a certified plumber, get them to take care of it � don't try to handle it yourself," Gray told the media.

The man wasn't hurt and firefighters say it could have been a lot worse: "It could have ran the whole wall second floor. He's lucky we had guys around because of the holidays and guys are off doing Christmas shopping."

 � Copyright 2004-2015 The News Vault. All rights reserved.