93-Year-Old Korean War Veteran Killed In Washington County House Fire
CARROLL TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) - A 93-year-old man was pronounced dead after a fire at his Washington County home on Thursday morning.
Investigators are trying to determine what started the fire that killed 93-year-old John Yevcinez. His stepson said he was a Korean War veteran.
State police still haven't determined what caused the fire. However, they did say there's a fair amount of damage on the front porch. Investigators say they found aerosol cans on the porch but don't believe that's what caused the fire.
The fire broke out around 5:15 a.m. on Thursday on Van Voorhis Lane in Carroll Township. Relatives say Yevcinez lived alone.
Family members and close family friends didn't want to say anything on camera but told KDKA-TV that Yevcinez was a great guy and the nicest man you'd ever want to meet.
His stepson says Yevcinez served in the Army as a sergeant during the Korean War and worked in the Post Office for 30 years.
Carroll Township Police Chief Paul Brand says Yevcinez lived in the community for a long time and called him a good neighbor and friend, saying loved ones would check on him often.
Neighbors said while they didn't know him well, they enjoyed talking to him.
"We talked about flowers. My wife likes flowers and she has a garden in the front of the house. It's pretty nice, she likes to take care of that. And he used to share flowers with us. So that was a nice thing," said neighbor Bill Lemonovich.
The coroner said someone driving by saw the fire and called 911. Multiple fire crews responded, including Peoples Gas and West Penn Power.
The cause and manner of death are still under investigation. State police believe the fire is not suspicious.
