Persistent Fire Leaves Local Restaurant In Ruins
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A fire at the popular Pickle Barrel restaurant on Pittsburgh's South Side rekindled overnight, badly damaging the building and leaving the people who live in the apartments above homeless.
The fire wasn't through with the Pickle Barrel, rekindling early this morning after already ripping through the restaurant last night. Owner Scott Davis watched firefighters work on his business for the second time.
"I believe it will be the end of the Pickle Barrel," said Davis. "I was in there earlier after the first fire, this is a restart, and it's trashed all the way down to the wiring."
"It's an older building. There may have been some fire trapped in between the ceiling," said City of Pittsburgh Fire Department Battalion Chief George Holl. "It wasn't discovered when we left and it just worked its way up through."
The Pickle Barrel has been on Carson Street for 45 years. Davis says it's not just a loss for him, but the family restaurant will be missed by the community.
"It's just one of those places where everybody meets up. The whole neighborhood loves the place and they're going to be sorry it's gone too," said Davis. "It's really a landmark."
Battalion Chief Holl says crews had to be extra cautious this morning and it was more dangerous to fight due to the building possibly being unstable.
"It's a concern cause you may have parts of the building that are already weakened from the earlier fire," said Chief Holl.
None of the six tenants in the upstairs apartments were home last night during the first fire, but whatever damage was done then, was only made worse this morning.
Authorities believe the original fire that broke out last night may have started in the kitchen.
The building owner said a building inspector was on the scene this morning and has condemned the building.
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