Firefighters in Pittsburgh faced a challenging battle late Thursday morning when a vacant duplex on the South Side Slopes caught ablaze, requiring immediate attention. Dispatched shortly after 10:30 a.m. to the 2600 block of South 18th Street, the teams were met with smoke and fire emanating from the roof, as reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Initial crews arrived within five minutes, and the fire escalated to a three-alarm status by 11:30 a.m. According to Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire Chief Darryl Jones, who came upon a house that looked two stories from the street due to the hillside's slope, it was a four-story structure. Relief crews were called in to assist, struggling with the arduous slope of the hill, which added to the fire's complexity.
No civilians were reported injured, as the building was unoccupied and void of utilities, which often underscores its vacant status. Yet, the incident wasn't without casualties. One firefighter sustained an ankle injury during the firefighting efforts and was transported by Pittsburgh EMS to an area hospital in stable condition, as confirmed by the Pittsburgh Public Safety Blotter.
