Two House Fires on South Avenue

The house a convicted felon was accused of trying to have burned downed two years ago was destroyed by fire this morning, and the house next door was heavily damaged as well.

The blaze at 103 South Avenue was reported at about 7:50 a.m. after several neighbors heard an explosion. The house is owned by Tracy Panighetti and 56-year-old Edward Panighetti Sr., who was sentenced last year to six to 16 years in state prison for a number of convictions. Two years ago he was charged with several arson-related offenses, but all but one of those was dismissed. One of the charges that was dismissed dealt with Panighetti allegedly hiring someone to set a fire at 103 South Avenue.

As for today’s fire, people on Elm Street said they heard an explosion and thought someone in the Congress Street area had dropped a piece of heavy equipment, but then went outside and realized it was a fire. He said by the time he got to the corner of Elm and South Avenue flames were already shooting through the roof and he estimated that some of them were 10 feet in the air.

A Tibbetts Avenue resident said the first explosion shook his home, and his neighbors’.

No one was living at 103. We don't have information yet on who lives at 105.

The fire at 103 South Avenue melted the siding on 105 South Avenue and also sparked a fire in the attic of that house. We don’t have reports of any injuries.

We’ll have more information when it becomes available, but that may not be for several more hours.

Besides City of Bradford firefighters, Bradford Township and Derrick City are on the scene. Rew is on standby. Lewis Run and Corydon townships are covering Bradford; Lafayette Township is covering Lewis Run.

Bradford City Police and DPW personnel are on the scene as well.

City firefighters have also received several unrelated EMS calls while battling the fires.

Note: The background information is just that: Background information on the history of the house and its owner, which is ironic.

Photos by (from top to bottom) Jacquie Schwindler, Anne Holliday (WESB), Kim Wright, Anne Holliday (WESB)

The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Arrests in Operation Diamond Drop

Image
HARRISBURG — Attorney General Tom Corbett today announced that agents from the Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, assisted by local police officers from across Erie County and the Pennsylvania State Police, are in the process of arresting 41 suspects linked to a nearly $5 million drug organization operating in and around Erie. Corbett said the nearly 2-year long grand jury investigation, known as “Operation Diamond Drop,” used court-ordered wiretaps, undercover surveillance and controlled drug purchases to identify large-scale cocaine and marijuana traffickers in the region. “Drug trafficking at this level is ‘big business’, including upper-level suppliers, mid-level distributers and street-level sales people,” Corbett said. “Our investigations focus on following the drugs and money to their source, allowing us to attack an entire drug distribution network when we make our arrests.” Corbett said the chief figure charged today is Miguel Angel Burgos, 31, 9891 Holly
Read more

Woman Charged with Posting
Nude Picture on Facebook

A Falconer, New York, woman is facing charges after allegedly posting a naked photo of a Warren woman on Facebook. Police say 22-year-old Lindsay Head posted the picture without the consent of the 21-year-old victim, who is dating Head's ex-boyfriend. Head is charged with dispersing obscene and sexual materials. The picture has been removed from Facebook.
Read more

Two Arrested on Drug Charges

Image
Two people were arrested on drug charges after state police got a report about unauthorized use of a vehicle. Troopers found the vehicle in Randolph on Wednesday and arrested the driver, 31-year-old Bridget Bardo of Conewango, for aggravated unlicensed operation and criminal possession of a controlled substance. She was released on her own recognizance and scheduled to appear in Town of Randolph Court. Her passenger, 28-year-old Andrew Jaquish of Salamanca, was charged with three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance. Police also learned there was an active warrant against him from City of Jamestown Court. He was sent to Chautauqua County Jail on $1,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947
Read more