Jefferson Hills Fire Destroys Historic Restaurant
JEFFERSON HILLS (KDKA)- Firefighters battled a big fire at a restaurant in Jefferson Hills Wednesday morning.
The three-alarm fire started just before 4 a.m. Wednesday at The Old Large Hotel in the 5100-block of Oak Road.
The building was an old hotel and current bar/restaurant that's been around for decades. It was destroyed in the fire.
KDKA's Christine D'Antonio Reports:
Fire Chief Andrew Tomer said this fire was a particularly difficult one to fight because the building is so old and because of the layout inside.
"There's a lot of different rooms upstairs that made access difficult. Especially at the top of the second floor stairs, that floor gave way immediately," Chief Tomer said.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, the back and side of the building were fully engulfed.
The fire quickly went to three alarms as crews needed more manpower to knock down the raging inferno.
A Glassport firefighter was injured and had to be taken to the hospital, but is expected to be okay.
"They were in the first floor and a piece of the ceiling came down and struck them in the helmet and neck region," Chief Tomer said.
KDKA's Ross Guidotti Reports:
The West Jefferson Hills School District issued a two-hour delay because the buses that take kids to school are behind the historic landmark and access was blocked.
"I saw the two-hour delay that came from the school district and I come out two hours later and still no passage back to get to our garage," school bus driver Bob Karpinsky said.
Even though the business operates under a hotel license, no one was inside when the fire broke out.
The owner was in the process of selling the business.
The Allegheny County Fire Marshal is the lead agency investigating both the Jefferson Hills and McKeesport fires from Wednesday morning. However, KDKA has learned given the number of fires, time of origin, and both being businesses, the ATF is now assisting.
But finding an exact cause and origin may prove difficult because in both McKeesport and in Jefferson Hills, the level of destruction is extreme.
Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter
