By Moustafa Ayad
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania)
Copyright 2006 P.G. Publishing Co.
A city arson squad was investigating the cause of a five-alarm blaze that severely damaged five rowhouses in Lawrenceville last night.
All the occupants managed to escape the fire unharmed, but two firefighters suffered minor injuries, said city Fire Chief Michael Huss.
One firefighter suffered a cut on his hand and the other had a neck injury, Chief Huss said.
The fire, which was reported at 8:12 p.m., started in the rear of two unoccupied rowhouses near an alley, the chief said. It quicky spread to three adjacent rowhouses.
Flames shot through the roof of one structure before firefighters brought the fire under control shortly after 10 p.m.
Arson investigators said it appeared that the fire may have started in some furniture that was sitting in a walkway running between two of the rowhouses.
Neighbors said they saw a car leave the area shortly before the fire broke out.
Boyce Perry, 51, who lives on Howley Street, said his three children were playing outside and ran inside to tell him a house was on fire.
Mr. Perry immediately ran outside.
“Someone was behind that house,” he said. “I saw a car leave right after the fire.”
Arson investigators were on the scene last night, along with crews from Equitable Gas and Duquesne Light.
The fire caused severe damage to the unoccupied homes and damaged the roofs of several of the rowhouses.
City Public Works Director Guy Costa, who also was at the scene, said he was monitoring the situation in case city crews would be needed to assist with debris removal.
The two-story homes were covered with what appeared to be vinyl siding, which was melted and warped in places.
Electrical power was cut off to the area and was expected to remain off for most of the night.
Chief Huss said he did not know how many residents were displaced by the fire.
Don Sinicki, who lives nearby on Howley Street, said he saw discarded furniture in front and beside one of the unoccupied rowhouses.
He thinks someone set fire to the furniture and that spread to the rowhouses. He said the family that lived in the house where the fire started had just recently moved out.