Firefighters descend on Ross Park Mall for fire beneath concrete floors

ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Firefighters spent hours extinguishing a fire beneath the concrete floors at Ross Park Mall.

Allegheny County 911 officials tell Channel 11 that firefighters were first called to the mall around 4:15 a.m. Sunday.

Channel 11 saw first responders near the rear entrance between Dick’s Sporting Goods and JCPenney.

A firefighter on scene tells Channel 11 that the fire began in an underground conduit near Warby Parker.

Ross Township Deputy Chief of Police Brian Kohlhepp adds that the fire occurred with an ongoing construction project to replace the floors at an entrance. He says sparks from cutting through rebar caught the old cardboard subfloor, leading to smoke and fire.

On social media, the Reserve Volunteer Fire Department called the fire “stubborn,” and they spent at least six hours trying to put it out.

“This was a large scale incident involving multiple alarms of fire personnel to protect millions of dollars in property,” the Reserve Volunteer Fire Department post said in part.

A firefighter told us the mall was filled with smoke and had a high level of carbon monoxide. Kohlhepp says the mall reopened after being tested by fire crews, and they determined it was safe to breathe.

No one was injured by the fire or the smoke, Kohlhepp said.

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