An individual has perished in a house fire that erupted on Miller Avenue in Rankin, with first responders receiving the call to action at approximately 2 p.m. yesterday. Authorities from Allegheny County intervened, converging police officers, firefighters, and medics at the scene, WPXI reported.
The property's top floor was identified as the origin of the blaze. According to the same source, firefighters had to transfer a woman from an upstairs bedroom to a hospital. Later in the evening, just short of 6 p.m., it was confirmed that a person succumbed to injuries related to the fire, with expectations that additional information would emerge from the Allegheny County Medical Examiner.
Onlookers observed smoke escaping from the residence's rooftop, and part of the structure succumbed to the flames. Rivers Edge Volunteer Fire Department's Pat Green reported that a roof segment gave way during the ordeal.
Meanwhile, Mayor Joelisa McDonald publicly expressed her gratitude via social media to the responding fire departments, including Rivers Edge, North Braddock, and Edgewood. Mayor McDonald stated, "I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Rivers Edge Fire Department and all neighboring fire departments that responded to this emergency," in a statement reported by CBS News Pittsburgh. Additionally, Pat Green noted, "[It] looks like [the fire] started upstairs in the middle of the house. The roof in the middle has caved in."
The blaze's intensity was not significantly thwarted by weather-related complications with the fire hydrants, with firefighters asserting that the frigid temperatures merely posed minor issues. The aftermath of the disaster now falls under the purview of the Allegheny County Police Department, which has assumed the mantle of the investigation.
