Probe continues into cause of $750K fire

Staff report

NEW CASTLE, PA.

The cause of a fire that burned most of the old Shenango China building on Glass Street on Tuesday evening is still under investigation.

A state police fire marshal is investigating a report that employees of a ceramics company in part of the building chased away two men who were burning plastic off copper wire earlier in the day, a fire department report says.

Most of the building is not being used, said fire chief Tom Maciarello.

The china company went out of business in 1991. The building is still full of crates of unfinished china, he said.

The building was “an inferno” when firefighters arrived after getting the call about 5:30 p.m., said Maciarello.

Assisting New Castle were departments from Union, Neshannock, Shenango, Mahoning and Taylor townships and the borough of South New Castle, he said.

The Lawrence County Emergency Command Center and Noga Ambulance also stood by. The ambulance company provided rehab for firefighters, he said.

Maciarello said that firefighters had the blaze under control within two hours, but stayed on the scene for about seven hours.

The ceramics company was not damaged, he said. Neither was a lumber yard across the street.

The fire did $750,000 in damage to the building he said.