Six residents of Mt. Washington duplex safely evacuated following fire
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Six people safely escaped from a duplex fire in Pittsburgh's Mt. Washington neighborhood on Friday morning.
According to Pittsburgh Public Safety, fire crews were called to the 100 block of Merrimac St. around 9 a.m. on Friday after heavy smoke was seen coming from the duplex.
"It always happens around the holidays my heart goes out to them," neighbor Sue Hadbavny said.
A man was rescued from the roof. Neighbors brought a ladder for him to come down onto Hadbavny's driveway.
"The ladder is 6 feet, so it was a big separation between the roof and him getting down onto the ladder," Hadbavny said. "He slid from the roof onto the gutter on to the ladder and they helped with his footing and he jumped onto the driveway."
A Pittsburgh police sergeant was at the scene. He was going to help the man on the roof, but he told the officer someone was inside on the main floor. The sergeant went in and got that person out.
Six residents safely evacuated from five apartments in the structure, but a cat remains unaccounted for. The duplex and another home were seriously damaged as a result.
The cause remains under investigation.