Fire at McKeesport apartment building forces residents to jump from windows to escape
MCKEESPORT, Pa. (KDKA) — Crews battled a fire at an apartment building in McKeesport on Wednesday afternoon.
Firefighters were called to Hartman Street for the three-alarm fire at the four-story apartment building.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, they saw Mykia Mitchell and her baby trapped on the top floor. They grabbed a ground ladder and pulled them down safely.
"I was asleep and the flames woke me up," she said. "I ran and grabbed my daughter, my baby, she's a couple of months old. We had to climb out the ladder out the window."
Tony Otto was putting up Christmas decorations when he smelled smoke. He and other neighbors ran over to help and caught people jumping from the burning apartment building.
One man was rushed to the hospital after jumping from a window to escape the flames.
"On the other side, there is a window, that is where a gentleman and his 3- or 4-year-old daughter jumped out of," Otto said. "By that point, there were four or five of us."
That man was Devin Logan and his 3-year-old daughter, Nova. They were stuck inside their second-floor apartment.
"The door I opened, it was pitch black, and I knew we were not going to be able to go out that way," Logan said. "I took her to the window. I pushed the screen out. My landlord was sitting down there, so I called her over. She got some people to come over with her and helped catch Nova when I dropped her. ... I'm happy they were there."
Fire officials said the flames started in a storage room in the basement and spread. Seven of the eight apartments were occupied.
"We were quick to get firefighters inside to do the primary search in case there were residents home," McKeesport Fire Chief Jeffrey Tomovcsik said. "We were fortunate the time of day, most of the residents were not home. Just the three."
Residents will have to find another place to stay. It will be several weeks before they can get back inside, officials said.
The American Red Cross is helping residents. The fire marshal is investigating.
