Firefighters from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire were called to the scene of a significant commercial blaze in Central Lawrenceville, as flames engulfed a linen laundering business located on the 5100 block of 51st Street last Saturday morning. The fire, which began around 10:10 a.m., quickly intensified, necessitating a call for additional resources as the situation escalated.
Despite the presence of a sprinkler system, the fire spread unimpeded, reaching up to the roof of the large industrial building. Responders raised the alarm level four times within an hour, from the initial alarm to a second one at approximately 10:20 a.m., a third at 10:36 a.m., and a final fourth alarm shortly before 11:15 a.m., "the fire was deemed under control at 12:24 p.m.," according to a statement from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire, reported by the City of Pittsburgh press release.
The fire prompted an all-hands response with crews tirelessly working to smother smaller, smoldering remnants for hours after the main fire was contained. Their efforts will continue into the night, maintaining a diligent fire watch to ensure the blaze is completely extinguished and does not reignite.
During the operations, "One firefighter sustained a minor non-burn injury to his knee. He was initially treated on scene by Pittsburgh EMS, but was ultimately transported in stable condition for medical evaluation," as reported in the same city's press release.
Investigative unit detectives from the Fire Investigation Unit were dispatched to the scene to ascertain the origins of the fire, the results of which are still pending.
