Residents of McKeesport's Midtown Plaza Apartments were confronted with chaotic scenes yesterday morning, upon the outbreak of a fire that began in the building's trash chute. Smoke billowed from the high-rise as firefighters, called to the scene around 11:30 a.m., battled to quell the flames and restore order. The quickly spreading haze led to as many as six people being taken to the hospital for treatment, while one firefighter sustained a minor hand injury, according to a report from WPXI.
A resident from the 10th floor recounted the smoke's infiltration into their apartment, a heavy blanket in the hallway that began as just a haze. "Initially, it was just a haze. I shut my door, put down a wet towel and after five to seven minutes, the smoke got a little thicker coming in," the resident said in an interview with WPXI. Fire crews managed to extinguish the fire before 1 p.m., allowing most inhabitants to re-enter their homes. However, several residents with disabilities required assistance during the rescue operations.
As the cleanup commences, dictated as the building management's responsibility, the Allegheny County Fire Marshal has stepped in to investigate the cause of the fire, which has since been confirmed to be contained to the trash chute. Welsh's sentiments, capturing the frustration and despair, resonate with a community feeling overlooked: "I know it’s low-income (housing), but we’re still human," she told WPXI. "It’s not fair that we have to live like this." Meanwhile, smoke obscuring the building's apex, and the anxious figures of residents at open windows, became the visual hallmarks of an ordeal that had Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 cameras rolling on the scene at 516 Sinclair Street, WTAE reported.
