Fire Erupts At Strip District Warehouse, Investigators Say The Cause Is 'Suspicious'
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Flames and heavy smoke poured from a warehouse in Pittsburgh's Strip District early Monday morning, and investigators are now saying the start of the fire is suspicious.
The fire broke out around 4:30 a.m. in the building located on Smallman Street.
City officials were calling the fire a "hazardous situation" because the warehouse is under construction.
"There was many hazards," said Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich. "The building currently being under construction – floors were missing, there's different various cylinders throughout the building, and, of course, we had concerns about electricity and gas throughout the building."
A spokesperson for the company that owns the building says they were planning to put in office and retail space. They said parts of floors were missing because elevators were supposed to be added inside.
Much of the work that was done is now gone. Windows are shattered and debris is scattered all around.
A woman who works for McCaffrey, the company that owns the building, told KDKA the fire is devastating.
Pittsburgh Public Safety officials say Liberty and Penn Avenues have reopened. Smallman Street is also back open after being closed all morning.
"There was heavy fire on the Smallman Street side," said Hissrich.
And a lot of smoke -- the building is made up of brick and steel.
"Anytime you have construction there's lumber, there's as I mentioned before cylinders," he said.
Update:
Penn Avenue through the Strip District is open after @PghFireFighters extinguished a warehouse fire on Smallman Street. Smallman is still closed btwn. 21st & 12th streets as the Fire Investigation Unit investigates the cause of the fire.— Pgh Public Safety (@PghPublicSafety) September 30, 2019
UPDATE:
Liberty Avenue is open, but please avoid Smallman Street and Penn Avenue between 21st and 11th Streets as @PghFireFighters get a warehouse fire under control. pic.twitter.com/sYzm65I9jg— Pgh Public Safety (@PghPublicSafety) September 30, 2019
A number of side streets were also shut down to make way for fire trucks.
No injuries were reported.
After investigating the cause, Pittsburgh Police say investigators determined the cause of the fire is "suspicious in nature."
The investigation is continuing.
