Authorities Investigating Fire At Apartment Complex In Moon Township
MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) -- Authorities are investigating a fire that devoured an office and pool building in the center of apartments in Allegheny County.
Heavy fire and thick smoke could be seen Monday above Thorn Run Apartments in Moon Township. There are over 300 apartments in the building.
Six fire companies, along with Moon Township officials, responded. No one was inside the office and pool building. The maintenance workers left at 4 p.m., and the fire started just after 5 p.m.
"It looked like it started in an office area," Moon Township Volunteer Fire Company Chief John Scott said. "When we arrived, we had heavy fire, smoke coming out the front of the building."
Steiner Realty Inc. manages the property. There are offices, a fitness center and a maintenance area downstairs. The officer manager said a leasing agent was supposed to be in the building but was not. Most of the staff has been working remotely because of the pandemic.
"I was shocked and amazed with the kind of damage that was there," tenant Lucie Lenz said. "I really would have thought something would have happened to somebody. I was just so thankful that it didn't."
The Allegheny County fire marshal is now investigating. The biggest concern was the chlorine powder in the basement of the building.
"If the chlorine gets wet, it puts off a gas. It did not. It was contained. So there is no concern to any residents about that," Scott said.
The office manager for Thorn Run Apartments released a statement, in part, saying:
"We're saddened by tonight's fire but very grateful to the first responders for their quick actions to make sure the fire didn't get worse and grateful no one was harmed."
