PA Man Charged with Arson After Fire Damages City Block

Sep. 21--READING, Pa. -- A three-alarm fire that started in a vacant north Reading row home Friday morning displaced more than a dozen residents of three other homes Friday morning, city fire officials said. The home's owner, Kurt M. Stitzer, was charged with arson Friday evening, according to court documents.

Stitzer faces two counts of arson, seven counts of recklessly endangering another person and risking a catastrophe. He was arraigned before Judge Nicholas M. Bentz Jr. and is being held in Berks County Prison on $50,000 bail.

The vacant building at 1402a N. Sixth St., where the fire started, appeared to be under renovation by Stitzer, who lives in the adjacent dwelling.

Reading Fire Marshal Jeremy Searfoss wouldn't comment on the cause of the fire, which happened the morning both properties were available for purchase through a tax sale administered by the Berks County Tax Claim Bureau.

The properties listed for tax sale due to unpaid 2017 taxes, officials said. Since there were no bidders for 1402 N. Sixth and 1402a, they will be listed for a "free and clear" tax sale next year.

Searfoss would only say that the fire remains under investigation.

All 18 on-duty Reading Fire Department personnel plus paramedics and members of the fire marshal's office responded to battle the blaze at North Sixth and Pike streets. Personnel from three suburban fire departments, Goodwill of Hyde Park, Spring Township and West Reading, also responded.

No one was injured, but as many as 14 residents of two of the homes were left temporarily homeless, Searfoss said.The American Red Cross Tri-County Chapter is assisting those residents with emergency lodging, food and clothing.

The initial alarm came in at 7:20 a.m. in the 1400 block of North Sixth Street. As the first crew headed to the scene, they saw a towering column of smoke and immediately called for a second alarm, Searfoss said.

A third alarm was struck a few minutes later because flames had made it to the common loft space, making it a very labor-intensive effort to tear open ceilings and walls to put out the flames, he said.

Crews had most of the flames out in 30 minutes. Searfoss said the firefighters faced a challenge because the fire went undiscovered inside the vacant house at 1402a N. Sixth.

The flames spread to two rental homes at 1404a and 1404 N. Sixth. The roof of 1404 N. Sixth collapsed, forcing firefighters to retreat.

"Pretty dangerous fire because we didn't have anyone call until it was well developed," Searfoss said. "We're playing catch-up at that game, but we've got a lot of aggressive guys, and I think we made a really good stop here out of something that was really far ahead of us when we first got here."

Fire Chief William I. Stoudt took over command shortly after the multiple alarms. Residents gathered across the street to watch, many using their smartphones to record the action. A damage estimate wasn't immediately available.

Two of the occupied homes are rental properties owned by Sipaphay Souvannaphoungeun of Sinking Spring. She said she rushed to the fire scene after getting a call at her job from one of her tenants in another property.

Marla Hoffman, 72, said she and her husband, Barry, whose long-time home is next to the fire-damaged rental homes, were awakened by people screaming next door. "I looked out my bedroom window and saw smoke," she said as she sat shivering under a blanket on a chair on the sidewalk as firefighters continued to put out stubborn flames.

Contact Steven Henshaw: 610-371-5024 or [email protected].

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