Attempt to thaw frozen pipe caused weekend fire in North Versailles

A fire that damaged a shuttered business in North Versailles on Saturday was caused by someone trying to thaw a frozen pipe, authorities said.

Allegheny County Chief Fire Marshal Matt Brown said the Saturday night fire in the 1100 block of Lincoln Highway was accidentally caused by a person thawing a frozen pipe with “a torch,” though he didn't specify what kind of torch was being used. Brown said the fire caused at least $10,000 worth of damage to the building, which housed Nic's Tobacco Outlet and Rock'N Tattoo.

Don Mattonen, owner of Rock'N Tattoo & Piercing, said a pipe in the second-floor apartments had burst Friday, flooding his shop and leading building inspectors and the fire marshal's office to shut down utilities to the entire building after deeming the upper floors uninhabitable.

“When I opened the door, there was water and electricity arcing from the outlets in my studio,” Mattonen said.

He kept the shop closed and utility companies shut off service to the building, he said, so he didn't know why there was still water in the pipes upstairs that could have required thawing.

Mattonen said he didn't plan to reopen in that location and was concerned that the water and smoke from the fire may have damaged or destroyed the guitars, posters, photos and other artifacts from bands including Slayer and KISS that gave the shop its theme.

Authorities say never to use an open flame to thaw a frozen pipe . Use a hair dryer, wrap towels around the pipe and soak them with hot water, or use a heat lamp. To reduce the likelihood of a burst pipe, open a faucet if there is one to relieve pressure and work backward along the frozen pipe from there.

Matthew Santoni is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-6660, msantoni@tribweb.com or via Twitter @msantoni.