Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — A four-alarm fire late Saturday into early Sunday at a Robinson volunteer fire department facility caused up to $700,000 in damage, the fire company’s chief said.
The fire began about 11:50 p.m. in Robinson Township Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 in the 4000 block of Hayes Avenue in the township’s Groveton area, and, “in about three minutes, [the building] was going,” Chief Kenny Kisow, said.
Security cameras recorded the fire’s ignition, and the footage has prompted officials to rule the fire an accident, Mr. Kisow said. The cause of the blaze is unknown, he said.
The building’s structure remained largely undamaged, but much of its contents were lost. A special services truck that cost about $300,000 and a squad truck that cost about $70,000 were destroyed, along with three inflatable boats, Mr. Kisow said. He expects the department’s insurance to cover the damage.
“It just needs new doors, drywall and paint, and a lot of equipment,” Mr. Kisow said of the building.
Groveton firefighters, many of whom live in the neighborhood, responded first, but their efforts were limited because their equipment was inside the burning building, Mr. Kisow said. They were joined by departments from Forest Grove, Moon Run and Coraopolis, and the flames were under control in about 40 minutes, he said.
“We would have lost [the building] in another five minutes,” he said.
According to Mr. Kisow, volunteer firefighter Steve Campbell braved the flames and drove the company’s fire engine through a jammed garage door before it could be severely damaged. Mr. Campbell and another firefighter were treated for smoke inhalation at Ohio Valley Hospital and released.
Restoration crews have been authorized to begin work in parts of the hall, but the garage in which the fire began must be sealed off until an expert can determine the fire’s cause.
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