Elderly Residents Of Honus Wagner Apartments Unable To Use Building Elevator Following Fire

CARNEGIE (KDKA) -- Life hasn't been easy for residents in the Honus Wagner Apartments since a fire broke out last Sunday.

According to residents, a fire broke out on the fourth floor in an apartment where a woman was smoking while using oxygen.

Susan Ronczak lives a few doors away on the same floor.

"A lot of water, all through my living room and dining area and a little in my bedroom," she said.

Residents say water from fire hoses went down the elevator shaft, knocking out both of the building's elevators.

Ronczak said she has trouble getting up and down the stairs but others in the building have it worse.

"I'm having a pity party on me, but what about those poor people up on the second, eighth and ninth floor?" She asked.

Many of the residents are in their 80s and 90s and have no way of getting to the first floor of the nine-story high rise.

Debbie Bellisario's elderly father lives on the sixth floor.

"My dad has kidney disease, he's diabetic, he needs to get to doctors and different things like that, he's really having a hard time and I'm really worried for him," she said. "I hope he doesn't end up in the hospital with this."

Kathleen Burke said she's trying to get answers when the elevators will be fixed.

"I've called every politician I can think of to try and get in touch with HUD to do an inspection of this building and to find out what happened to the elevators," she said.

Jeffery Dumm wondered why more people weren't put in hotels but he hopes elevators will be repaired by Wednesday.

"I would suggest the management get a disaster plan in the future whereby if something like this happens again they can be better prepared," he said.

KDKA has reached out to management but has not heard back.

Some residents do give management benefit of the doubt, stating the building was built in the '70s and it may be difficult to get parts for the elevator.