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Ambridge Fire Victim To Voice Concerns With Town Council

AMBRIDGE (KDKA) -- One of the victims from last month's fire in Downtown Ambridge says he plans to attend Tuesday night's borough council meeting to vent his frustration about what's happened to him and others.

The fire at Charles Men's Store on Merchant Street demolished that business, but as it turns out, that's not the only casualty.

More than a month after the devastating fire, demolition work is still underway. But there are aftershocks of this that few people expected.

"It's like you're a victim when the fire happened, and now you're a victim forever," said Al Sacco, of Ambridge.

It was not Sacco's business that went up in flames back in September, but his electronics business is located next door.

Now, there's a sign on his building, declaring it unsafe as a result of the fire. It's also where he lived and worked for 20 years.

"I've been living in a motel up on Duss Avenue. I've been there since the fire, and what I'm saying is, it's an expense," Sacco said. "I mean you're not making any money because you can't get in your building. Now I can though, but I don't have any electricity. I have to get this taken care of."

KDKA's Harold Hayes: Did you have any insurance?

Sacco: No, I didn't, sir. That was a terrible; right now with the economy and everything, everybody's hurting."

He wonders what if anything could have been done to prevent the fire in terms of proactive prevention.

The cause is still under investigation - a fire that thankfully did not cost the lives of those who lived in the building, but is affecting him.

Sacco, for one, says he's going to the town council in search of some of those answers.

RELATED LINKS:
Residents Escape Building Fire In Ambridge (9/14/12)
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