Fire Destroys Home In Carrick
CARRICK (KDKA) -- Smoke billowed into the sky over Carrick late Friday afternoon as a raging fire destroyed a home there.
The blaze broke out at a home in the 200-block of Nobles Lane.
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The 73-year-old homeowner was not hurt in the multiple-alarm blaze that broke out just before 4 p.m. and sent smoke billowing through the neighborhood.
Tracy Szala, who lives a few doors down the street from the fire said, "I was worried, crying, and just frantic."
Szala said she knew the man who lived in the home, and was concerned for his safety.
Firefighters said there was concern initially that the homeowner might be trapped inside the home, but that was not the case.
Szala said when she saw the homeowner getting out of the back of an ambulance, she went over and gave him a big hug.
At least three fire hydrants in the immediate neighborhood failed to work properly or had low water pressure.
Assistant Pittsburgh Fire Chief Thomas Cook said in older residential neighborhoods, sometimes there's a tendency to overtax the existing [water] capacity.
"We're not sure that there was an issue with the water system at this point. When we get into these older residential neighborhoods, and we start using the large caliber streams, we have a tendency to overtax the existing capacity," he said. "Until I hear from the water authority, I'm not going to say we have a problem with the system."
KDKA placed a call to the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, but so far, have not heard back from anyone there.
Fire Chief Cook said extra firefighters also responded to the three-alarm blaze, because he said, "Just like when it's hot, when it's real cold, we bring in extra people so we're not getting guys worn out and injured as well."
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