PITTSBURGH — Firefighters spent hours at the scene of a massive fire in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood on Tuesday.
>>Click here for more photos from the scene<<
The four-alarm fire at the Jefferson Apartments on Forward Avenue near the intersection of Murray Avenue started around 8:30 a.m. It was declared under control at 1:08 p.m. Some crews remained on scene in case of hotspots.
The fire rekindled on the roof briefly Tuesday night but was placed under control again shortly after.
One of our reporters on scene saw the roof collapse. No residents or firefighters were injured in the blaze. Two cats were saved from the building, but a third was found deceased.
73 firefighters worked to fight the flames.
Pittsburgh Public Safety officials said a request for an emergency demolition of the building has been made due to the building already partially collapsing.
At 7:30 p.m., Pittsburgh Fire Chief Darryl Jones said the building owners have 48 hours to respond to the request to demolish.
Officials said there were two fires that broke out: one in a kitchen on the third floor, and an electrical fire in the basement.
Firefighters have since said there were new sprinkler systems in the building.
Battalion Chief John Gardell said the building was built in the 1920s, before sprinkler system code requirements were put in place.
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No one is allowed to enter the building because it has been deemed a safety hazard.
“Because of the partial collapse, we have to consider that the whole building is suspect now, so I can’t send my guys in,” said Jones.
The Salvation Army and the Red Cross are assisting the approximately 30 residents who live in the apartments. The agencies have opened an emergency shelter on Greenfield Avenue, where residents can stay overnight. Residents do not have to stay at the shelter in order to receive free Red Cross assistance.
Families who lost everything in apartment fire being helped by the Sally and Howard Levin Clubhouse
As the flames and smoke persisted all morning into the afternoon on Forward Avenue in Squirrel Hill, the people at the Sally and Howard Levin Clubhouse right across the street became unexpected helpers in a time of need.
Sally and Howard Levin Clubhouse provides jobs and education for adults in the community with mental illnesses.
Program Director Dr. Chrissy Whiting-Madison said it started with a police officer coming in to use their restroom.
“I noticed just people gathering on the sidewalk,” Dr. Whiting-Madison tells Channel 11. “Do they have somewhere to go? We can feed them. We have water. Then from there it really did take off.”
By 12:30 Tuesday afternoon, Dr. Chrissy Whiting-Madison said they were helping feed, clothe and provide support and counseling to 42 people.
“I’ve tried really hard to spend time with every single person who has come through our doors today,” Dr. Whiting-Madison added. “To say I’ve cried is an understatement, hearing their stories.”
Onlookers left shocked as large fire destroys apartment building in Squirrel Hill
Forward Avenue is often filled with constant traffic as people walk by Jefferson Apartments every day. On Tuesday, many people stopped to watch as smoke billowed out of that building and flames destroyed it.
“I saw it coming over the bridge in Bloomfield...So, I took my bike and rode down here because my kids go to school here and I wanted to make sure everything is okay,” said Gabe Perlow of Squirrel Hill.
When he got to the scene, he saw firefighters up high on their ladder trucks, using a downward attack on the quickly spreading flames.
Perlow stayed for a bit longer to watch the firefighters battle the flames.
“This is Pittsburgh’s finest, so making sure they’re keeping everything under control. The fact that they’ve kept it from spreading is pretty amazing,” said Perlow.
Murray Avenue storefronts, businesses close early Tuesday due to nearby fire, smoke
Thick plumes of smoke billowed through Squirrel Hill Tuesday morning as flames tore through a nearby apartment building on Forward Avenue – one street away from Murray Avenue, which has several storefronts and businesses.
Mindy McHale owns StrongerNow – a women’s fitness studio. She had to hold her client’s scheduled morning session virtually, from home, as the fire raged on.
“It’s a slow afternoon here – slow morning, slow afternoon, so luckily, we didn’t have any clients we had to reschedule,” McHale said. “My first concern is for the people who were affected by the fire.”
Murray Avenue was shut down for much of Tuesday, and Duquesne Light Company temporarily shut off power in the area, resulting in most businesses closing early.
Fire Chief concerned about building’s integrity following hours-long battle with flames
Crews dumped water into the burning building for hours to keep it from spreading.
Fire Chief Darryl Jones said he is worried about the condition of the building after the hours-long fight.
“All of that water you see going in…that’s weight. That’s tons and tons of water, a live load, that we put into this building,” said Jones. “This building wasn’t designed to hold that, so we’re gonna be real careful here.”
Apartment building destroyed by fire in Squirrel Hill was in community for over 100 years
The four-alarm fire that destroyed a building in Squirrel Hill on Tuesday has been part of the neighborhood since 1920.
County records show the 40-unit building has been owned by the same family since at least 1988.
For neighbors in Squirrel Hill, the scene is reminiscent of another fire on the corner of the same block at Forward and Murray avenues.
That fire burned a large vacant building in May 2015.
‘I don’t know how I’ll move forward:’ International student loses crucial document in apartment fire
Shariful Islam is an international student at Carnegie Mellon University.
“I was taking a shower and I heard the sound of fire trucks, so I was not sure what was going on,” Islam said.
Moments later, he realized his apartment building was on fire.
Islam told Channel 11 that he left behind important documents, including his passport, as well as all his furniture and clothing.
“As you can see, this is how I got out,” he said. “Everything that you see, this is me. I have nothing else.”
His brother, who lives in Baltimore, drove to Pittsburgh to help.
“He’s my brother, by the way, so he lives in Baltimore,” Islam said. “After that happened, he started driving and he came here.”
Islam is now staying with his brother temporarily and CMU offered on-campus living arrangements.
“I don’t know how I’ll move forward, but I have to,” he said. “I know I can do that.”
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