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Investigators: Boy, 6, Set Apartment Building Fire While Playing With Matches

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- According to investigators the apartment fire on Deraud Drive in Uptown-West Oakland was caused by a six-year-old boy playing with matches in a second-floor laundry room.

The boy admitted to setting the fire and no charges will be filed against the child nor his family.

Meanwhile, some progress in relocating residents displaced by the blaze is being made.

Some have been relocated outside of the city and away from family which does not make them happy, others have been told to return to apartments in the area of the fire.

Residents like Promise Wright say the fire was bound to happen.

"This fire was just like the last straw. We knew it was going to happen."

Many of the residents from the now condemned apartment building blame poor management by AHRCO.

There were 48 apartments in the building with 74 residents, including adults and children, after the fire was extinguished Saturday afternoon it rekindled again Sunday.

Fire Chief Darryl Jones described the situation "as a very stubborn fire in a very large and old building."

Residents say not only was the building old it was dangerous.

Mischelle McMillan is the Tenant Council President.

"AHRCO has been a slum landlord for the last 40 years, this is not the first time a tragedy has happened," she said.

McMillan says they all signed leases stating that management was not responsible for any loses and that residents were required to have renters insurance and while some did, many did not.

"We need to go after AHRCO and make them pay, we found out during one investigation they have been fined tremendous quite a few times," McMillan said.

Several calls to AHRCO were unanswered.

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