By Patrick Cloonan
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
PITTSBURGH — An Allegheny County deputy fire marshal is investigating a fire that destroyed a vacant home in McKeesport on Saturday morning and extensively damaged an occupied home next door.
“We were watching TV and I saw a big orange reflection on the wall,” said Dale Alexander of 1506 Packer Street. “I went over to my steps and saw the whole place was lit.”
The fire in the vacant home at 1508 Packer Street quickly spread to the Alexander home. Alexander’s mother, Betty Miller, and his brother were evacuated from a home at 1504 Packer, as were four people living in a house behind the fire scene
McKeesport and other responding fire companies had problems accessing water because of a frozen hydrant near the burning home and had to go to a second hydrant. Firefighters thought the fire, which broke out at 9:07 a.m., was under control about an hour later, but heavy smoke then rose out of the top floor of 1508 Packer.
“It was stubborn,” McKeesport Deputy Fire Chief Vince Wassel said. “It got into the walls, went up to the second floor and then the attic floor.”
The house at 1508 Packer had been vacant for some time, Alexander and Miller said.
Some exterior fire damage also occurred at 1510 Packer.
No injuries were reported. City firefighters were assisted by Glassport Citizens Hose, White Oak No. 1, West Mifflin Duquesne Annex and Liberty volunteers, with backup provided by Blaine Hill volunteers from Elizabeth Township, Versailles, Clairton and Elizabeth.
The American Red Cross provided Alexander and his family with food, clothing and shelter assistance.
“The problem is too many vacant houses around,” said Debbie Hose, a former resident called to the scene by a neighbor. “The city doesn’t have the money to tear them down.”
Copyright 2009 Tribune Review Publishing Company