Watch CBS News

Fire Destroys Old Furniture Store In Butler, Leaves Several Homeless

BUTLER (KDKA) -- An old furniture store in Butler County erupted in fire Friday, destroying the building and leaving several people homeless.

Hot spots continued to flare up Friday night; hours after the blaze broke out in the century-old building in downtown Butler.

The building, located only two blocks from the city fire station, once housed a furniture store on the ground floor. There were seven apartments located on the second and third floors.

Officials say it appears the fire started in an apartment on the top floor.

Amber Roxberry, who lived in a third-floor unit, said, "I couldn't even see 10 feet. I saw a guy coming out of the smoke with a fire extinguisher and my dog started dragging me."

Roxberry, comforted by friends, says she was planning to move soon, but now she's lost everything.

She told KDKA-TV's Ralph Iannotti, "The woman who knocked on my door said she came out of the bathroom and her couch was on fire, and she has no idea how it happened."

There were no injuries reported.

Because it was mutual aid, Butler City firefighters got help from some of their neighboring volunteer fire departments.

It's likely the building, which was insured and had fire detectors, sustained heavy water damage throughout. It's expected it will be condemned for safety reasons.

Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter

The fire chief says it was a stubborn blaze to contain.

"The flames got into the construction that's been done over the years. The fire embeds itself in the walls, and in the ceiling," Butler Fire Chief Nick Ban said. "Sometimes you have to wait till the fire gets through to actually get a handle on it."

Traffic is once again moving in the area after officials had to shut down several streets while fighting the fire.

There's no estimate of damage yet, and the cause of the fire remains undetermined.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.