Brush Fire Burns 4 Acres At Lawrenceville's Historic Allegheny Cemetery
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A two-alarm brush fire caused some scary moments at the historic Allegheny Cemetery in Lawrenceville on Tuesday evening.
The flames devoured leaves, logs and brush inside the local landmark, but thankfully, it stayed in the confines of a wooded area where it didn't destroy any graves.
When fire crews were first called to the scene around 7:15 p.m., they sent only one engine thinking it was small, but discovered it raging out of control.
"Due to the size and the location, this thing quickly escalated to two alarms," said Chief Darryl Jones, of the Pittsburgh Fire Bureau. "The main reason for the two alarms was for manpower. The area is very rough, and there's no access to it. It was huge though, it was a large, large fire."
#BREAKING: Large brush fire burning inside Allegheny Cemetery in Lawrenceville. Fire department from Monroeville called in to help. #KDKA pic.twitter.com/kyMDPLAFsx
— Ian Smith (@ismithKDKA) November 29, 2017
Firefighters had to use ropes to tie themselves to trees to be stable during the fire fight.
Additional crews were called in to battle the fire that spread through four acres, including a tanker truck from Monroeville because of the amount of water it can hold.
Brenda Waters' Report:
It's the first brush fire in the historic location that local officials can remember.
"Whether someone was in the woods tonight with a cigarette or whatever can start the fire itself, we're unsure at this point," said David Michener, the cemetery president. "We're just very thankful for the city fire department. They were wonderful."
There will be an investigation into what sparked the blaze
The Allegheny Cemetery is the oldest and largest cemetery in the Pittsburgh area.
