Investigators looking into string of fires in Troy Hill
Detectives are trying to determine what sparked a house fire in Troy Hill Sunday morning. Pittsburgh Public Safety investigators are calling it suspicious and are looking into whether it's connected to two other fires that happened nearby hours earlier.
As David Witzorreck looked at what's left of the house next door on Herman Street by Adair on Monday morning, he was reminded of what he saw 24 hours prior.
"I don't want to even see this no more," Witzorreck said.
It was around 11:45 a.m. Sunday when Witzorreck and his girlfriend were sleeping they suddenly smelled smoke.
"Just about went up on me," Witzorreck said.
When they looked outside, they saw flames shooting out of the roof. It wasn't long before firefighters told them to evacuate.
"We said, 'Are we going to be able to get back in.' They said, 'We don't know yet,'" Witzorreck said.
Cara Cruz with Pittsburgh Public Safety said no one was in the home and no one was hurt, but there were concerns about the fire spreading to two other houses, including Witzorreck's.
"There was some exposure on a couple of sides to other structures," Cruz said.
Flames melted some of the siding of Witzorreck's home, and thankfully, fire crews prevented them from spreading more.
"They worked their butts off to get that fire out for me," Witzorreck said.
Cruz said police believe the fire was suspicious; it may have been related to two fire incidents that happened Saturday into Sunday on Hatteras and Lowrie.
Witzorreck isn't surprised. He's been worried about the home next to his for years.
"We had vagrants coming in and living, and kids coming and living," Witzorreck said.
Now, he feels it's time to move out of the neighborhood.
"I used to watch this house very carefully because I figured it would burn someday and burn me down. It just about, did it?" Witzorreck said.
The fire on Herman remains under investigation, along with the other two nearby.
If you have any information about the incidents, call the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire at 412-255-2860.
