Firefighters Face Extreme Conditions In Pair Of Local Blazes
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Firefighters were facing tough conditions on Wednesday as they battled two local fires in sub-zero temperatures.
In both cases, families were displaced.
Right now, we don't know how either of these fires started – one in Monroeville and the other in Beaver County.
The common theme between theme was the bitter cold.
A home on Ridge Road in Center Township was leveled. Firefighters were out for hours battling the flames in the frigid cold temperatures.
Icicles formed on what was left of the structure.
"Once the water hits the ground, it froze over," said William Brucker of the Center Twp. Fire Department. "You can look around and see the icicles and so forth. It was very cold."
So cold, in fact, that a blow-up tent was set to keep the firefighters warm as they worked in shifts.
"We had about four crews of three, so 12 were in the tent and 12 were out," Brucker said. "We tried to rotate 12 and 12."
The fire chief said one firefighter slipped on some ice and is getting checked out.
Two men and one juvenile are now without a home. They were helped out by the Red Cross so they have a place to stay.
On Cambridge Square Drive in Monroeville, a similar story occurred at an apartment complex, with the brutal cold causing a few issues.
"We did have an issue with the one fire hydrant as our water supply was frozen shut," said Kevin Bacco, the Monroeville Deputy Fire Chief. "Luckily, we didn't need that. We were able to use the tank water in the engines to mitigate the fires."
Fire officials say a small fire broke out underneath the kitchen cabinets in one apartment, traveling through the wall and damaging the kitchen cabinets in the apartment next door,
Two families were displaced. A total of four adults and two children are being helped out by the Red Cross. Firefighters worked fast to put out the fire.
"It becomes a skating rink rather quickly so we had maintenance here putting down salt for us," said Bacco.