North Braddock fire destroys as many as 5 houses and garage
NORTH BRADDOCK, Pa. (KDKA) — A massive fire that destroyed as many as five houses and a garage in North Braddock is under investigation.
More than 12 hours after the first flames were spotted along 1700 block Grandview Avenue on Sunday, fire erupted again from the burnt-out rubble of what used to be a North Braddock garage on Monday afternoon.
"The garage was the only thing that was burning at first," neighbor Michael Freeman said. "Then in two minutes, everything was burning."
Freeman lives two doors down from the scene of the fire. He got a closer look at the damage as the first of the burnt-out buildings were demolished.
"It was bad, really bad," he said.
Two of the five homes impacted were occupied, according to the man who owns all three homes.
Eric Douglas lives across the street from the fire scene. He helped rescue a disabled woman from the smoke and flames.
"I carried her down the steps. I thought I was going to collapse, wires sparking flames crawling up the side of the building," he said. "It was crazy."
One woman was taken from the scene suffering from possible smoke inhalation. The cause of this fire is undetermined.
Douglas is now planning what to do next. Douglas, who's a recycler, says his entire business, including two vehicles, was inside the now-destroyed garage.
"Try to pick up the pieces and have a holiday," he said.
While no one was killed, one dog is missing and is believed to have died in the fire. The owner of the three homes destroyed says none of the structures were insured