Evening in Glassport turned tense on Wednesday when thick smoke began pouring from a plant building, sending fire engines racing into the 100 block of Ninth Street around 7:30 p.m. Neighbors reported seeing heavy, dark plumes drifting across the Mon Valley skyline as firefighters moved in to tackle the blaze. Authorities said there were no injuries while crews worked to get the situation under control.
Crews Converge On Ninth Street Plant
According to WPXI, firefighters were battling flames inside the plant building as Channel 11 sent its own crew to the scene. The station reported that units were called to the 100 block of Ninth Street just after 7:30 p.m., with smoke billowing out as emergency responders worked to contain the incident. Photos shared from the scene showed a sizable plume hanging over the small borough.
Latest Fire In A Tough Spring
This is not the first time Glassport residents have watched a major fire play out this spring. A mid-April multi-house blaze on Seventh Avenue sent several firefighters and a resident to local hospitals, according to CBS Pittsburgh. Crews also had their hands full earlier with a fast-moving blaze that tore through homes on Ohio Avenue, as covered in the Ohio Avenue fire. Those earlier incidents required long hours on the lines and, in some cases, demolition work once the flames were out.
Investigation Still To Come
As of the initial reports on Wednesday's plant fire, officials had not released a cause, and no investigative agency had been formally named. The Allegheny County Fire Marshal's Office typically takes the lead on origin-and-cause investigations for borough fires and coordinates with local departments and prosecutors on larger or more complex scenes, according to the Allegheny County Fire Marshal's Office. Residents can usually expect local agencies and news outlets to post follow-up updates once investigators finish their on-scene work and the area is fully secured.
