Fast-Moving Fire Spreads To 2nd Home In Allentown
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A pregnant woman was taken to the hospital after a fast-moving fire spread from one home to another in Pittsburgh's Allentown neighborhood overnight.
According to authorities, the fire started in an unoccupied building on Manton Way and quickly spread to a neighboring home with residents inside.
"She lives there with her two daughters. Her one daughter is pregnant. From what I understand, they took her to the hospital," said Marshall Snyder, a neighbor. "She was sleeping downstairs and woke up and heard the fire alarm, so she went upstairs and saw the fire coming in the wall."
One by one, friends and relatives brought items out of DeAnna Hill burnt out home Thursday morning.
"My whole upstairs is totally gone. It's gone," said Hill. "Downstairs is water damage."
It was round 3:45 a.m. when Hill was startled from her sleep.
"I was downstairs on the couch, watching TV," she said. "My alarm went off upstairs."
Her two children, including her 20-year-old pregnant daughter, were upstairs.
"As I'm walking up, they're both coming out the room," Hill said. "We couldn't see nothing. Seconds later, you seen the smoke coming up from the floor, from the wall."
The three ran from the burning building. Firefighters arrived shortly after, squeezing their massive trucks on narrow roads.
Officials say the fire began in the vacant home next door, and then jumped to Hill's home.
"There's about a 6-inch separation between the two homes," said Asst. Chief Tom Cook, of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire. "One of the primary concerns when we get on scene is to stop that spread otherwise it will run the whole block."
They managed to do that, but Hill's home was for the most part destroyed.
Authorities say they are now investigating the fire as a possible case of arson.
Hill say her pregnant daughter was checked out at the hospital and she's going to be okay.
They are insured and right now are getting help from the Red Cross as far as getting new things and finding a place to live temporarily.
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