Slatington woman dies in 'suspicious' house fire

Smoky blaze claims life of widow, who was afflicted with Lou Gehrig's disease.
By Andrew C. Martel | Of The Morning Call
February 5, 2009



Lisa and Larry House were dying together. So they decided to make the time they had left count.

In 2007, the Slatington couple rented a car and drove cross-country to Montana, where they spent a few weeks in a cabin.

''That was their dream: to buy a cabin and live in the woods,'' said Larry's sister, Rilinda Fetherolf. ''We were shocked ..., but when they came back safely, we were so glad they took it.''

Larry died last August at age 50 from complications related to a decades-long battle with cancer. Lisa, 47, had endured amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly called Lou Gehrig's disease, since 2007.



But the disease didn't kill her. She died early Wednesday after a fire trapped her in her bedroom. An unidentified person escaped from the home, the Slatington fire chief said.

The Lehigh County district attorney's office is calling the case ''a suspicious fire and death,'' but authorities said they had not determined what caused the fire at 424 W. Washington St.

House was pronounced dead at 12:11 a.m. at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, about an hour after the fire started, Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim said.

She was in cardiac arrest when firefighters pulled her out, but they later regained a pulse before transporting her to the hospital, according to police radio reports.

Slatington Police Chief Dave Bachman said he didn't know whether House's disability prevented her from escaping. ALS is typically a fatal condition in which neurons controlling muscle movement degenerate, causing the patient to lose the ability to move and breathe.

An autopsy was done. The cause of death was attributed to smoke inhalation and the manner of death is pending further investigation, Grim said in a news release.

Lisa House was the only person in the home when firefighters arrived, said Keith Weaver, chief of the Slatington Volunteer Fire Company. He said one person escaped before firefighters arrived and was not hurt. He would not identify that person.

Four people living in the other half of the twin were unhurt. Their house was not damaged and they returned to it Wednesday, Weaver said.

He said heavy smoke was pouring from the roof of the duplex when firefighters arrived, but the fire ''was knocked down relatively quick. The rescue was done relatively quick.''

He estimated 45 volunteers fought the fire.

Slatington police, the district attorney's office and state police are investigating, according to First Assistant District Attorney Steven Luksa.

Fetherolf remembered her sister-in-law as a woman with a beautiful spirit, very helpful, devoted to horses and her husband.

''She called him her 'house man.' They just adored each other,'' Fetherolf said. ''They inspired others to have a better relationship. I know they inspired me to.''

Larry, who was in charge of maintenance at a local motel and at AmeriCold Logistics in Fogelsville, was married to Lisa, a cafeteria services employee for the Northern Lehigh School District, for nearly 16 years. They raised her son, Chad Lever, together. Chad, an adult, was the only person closer to Lisa than her husband, Fetherolf said.

Her home looked only slightly damaged Wednesday. Plywood covered the second-floor windows, and the siding nearby was singed. A pile of toiletries and appliances lay in the driveway, and a wheelchair access ramp ran from there to the front door.

As the family prepared for its second funeral in less than six months, Fetherolf remembered her sister-in-law's generosity. She also recalled their days horseback riding together. Lisa loved horses so much that Larry paid for her weekly riding lessons.

''That was the love of her life: horses,'' Fetherolf said. ''Well, besides Larry.''


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