Seven people, including two children, find themselves without a home following a significant house fire that disrupted the calm of Pittsburgh's Bloomfield neighborhood. According to a report by WTAE, the Red Cross is currently providing aid to the individuals affected by the blaze, which occurred in the 4000 block of Penn Avenue on a seemingly peaceful Saturday.
With a thick column of smoke that was visible for miles around, the incident drew the attention and concern of many, signaling a 2-alarm fire that quickly escalated into a 4-alarm emergency. In a turn of irony, one side of the semi-detached house had been operating as a short-term rental, which, at the time of the fire, was said to be rented, as the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire posted on Facebook. They have confirmed that, though the residence was occupied, all residents were able to exit the property safely as firefighters arrived on the scene.
The response teams faced a myriad of challenges, as stated by Pittsburgh Public Safety officials during this unexpected mid-winter ordeal. WPXI quoted Public Safety spokesperson Cara Cruz saying, "It’s definitely icy around here, so anyone in the area should pay attention to the streets." Cruz noted that the bitter cold created particularly hazardous conditions as streets became icy from water used to extinguish the flames.
Fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries despite the damage and dislocation. Officials have signaled that the severity of the fire led to the decision to upgrade the response to bring in additional firefighters, considering not only the immediate threat of the fire but also the inclement weather conditions that followed. As the fire and ice danced a treacherous pas-de-deux on Penn Avenue, it was only due to their swift and disciplined action that greater tragedy was averted. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by detectives from the Fire Investigation Unit, with a focus on the rental property where they believe the fire may have originated.
