A 77-year-old Scranton man has died following a devastating multi-home fire that broke out Saturday evening on the city’s West Side. The Lackawanna County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as John G. Kollra, noting that he lived alone in his residence. Fire crews were dispatched to the 1300 block of Dartmouth Street around 6:00 p.m., where they encountered intense flames that quickly spread to adjacent structures. According to the coroner, Kollra’s cause of death was determined to be a combination of burns and smoke inhalation.
The blaze was so severe that Kollra’s primary residence completely collapsed during the incident. Two neighboring homes also sustained heavy damage, leaving at least four other residents displaced from their dwellings. While no other injuries were reported among neighbors or first responders, the American Red Cross is currently assisting those who lost their homes. The Scranton Fire Department and state fire marshals remain on the scene to investigate the official cause of the fire, which remains undetermined at this time.
