July 31--A man's body was recovered from the smoldering debris of a Blairsville restaurant that was destroyed by fire Wednesday night.
Blairsville Police Chief Michael Allman identified him as Paul Eugene Tressler, 68, who lived at Morewood Towers Senior Apartments in the borough. The Indiana County Coroner's office has not ruled on the cause of death.
Authorities believe Tressler was in the tavern at Sharon's Restaurant and Lounge, where the fire started.
Joe Koreni Jr., the restaurant owner's husband, who was on site at the time, said the fire started in a fryer unit in the kitchen.
Tressler's body was discovered just after 11 a.m. Thursday as an excavating crew moved debris at the property, located at 244 E. Market St., according to Trooper Kevin Karwatsky, a state police fire marshal.
Karwatsky said the fire is not suspicious.
Soon after the second building caught fire around 10:30 Wednesday, the Sharon's Restaurant building collapsed onto it.
East Market Street remained closed early Thursday afternoon while firefighters worked to put out smoking embers.
Copyright 2014 - Tribune-Review, Greensburg, Pa.
