Cause Of Morningside Blaze Under Investigation
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Officials are trying to determine what sparked a massive fire at an auto salvage yard and warehouse in the Morningside section of the city this morning.
Firefighters rushed to D&D Auto Salvage and Metal at 62nd and Butler Streets just after 6 a.m. as flames and thick smoke quickly consumed the building.
With temperatures already in the 80s early this morning and the intense heat from the fire, firefighters faced a test of endurance as they battled the blaze.
"It's unbearably hot," Pittsburgh Fire Dep. Michael Mullen told KDKA. "We rotated the crews through and tried not to overwork anybody."
But heat wasn't the only challenge that crews faced as they worked to put out the fire.
"We had several different things that were problems -- an uninvolved building and we had a large propane tank we were worried there was going to be an explosion," Mullen added.
Mullen says what was inside the warehouse helped to fuel the flames. "We had acetylene cutting torch tanks inside that [were] exploding… They had a lot of automobile equipment in there that they dismantled and, you know, cars nowadays are made out of plastics mostly -- there's a high fuel load."
Further, firefighters discovered that a hydrant near the scene was inoperative.
River rescue crews also deployed oil containment booms to collect some oil that apparently seeped from the fire scene. They've been working to pinpoint the exact source of the leak.
Fortunately, no one suffered any injuries.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation
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