Sharpsburg Fire May Have Started In Attempt To Thaw Frozen Pipes
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The Allegheny County Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of a major fire that destroyed a three-unit apartment in Sharpsburg on Monday.
However, there are strong signs that the fire was ignited by someone trying to thaw out pipes in the home because of the extreme cold.
Sharpsburg Police Chief Leo Rudzki told KDKA-TV's Ralph Iannotti, "We were told there were plumbers in the home around 2:30 thawing out a line, but we don't know what type of equipment they were using."
A tenant who lived in a first floor apartment of the building on North Canal Street said plumbers were upstairs, and believed fire got into the walls.
"There was plumbers upstairs and I think they got part of the wall on fire and then they bailed, I don't know," said tenant Dave Widcorreck.
Another tenant, Sarah Orbin, left her upstairs apartment shortly before the fire started.
She said a plumber came to her door early Monday afternoon, but she told the man that her pipes were all okay.
No injuries have been reported, but two people were rescued from the building, including a man in a wheelchair.
At least eight different volunteer fire companies in Sharpsburg were on the scene.
Fire crews continued to rotate in order to deal with the extreme cold.
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