Fire in Roof of Wagners Country Cafe in Elizabeth Twp

During the morning of April 3rd, 2010, Elizabeth Twp companies were dispatched for a commercial structure fire at Wagners Country Cafe on McKeesport Road in the Blaine Hill section of Elizabeth Twp.  Initial reports by the owner, who is a fire captain at Station 154 Sunnyside-Gallatin, indicated there was a possible electric fire in the roof area and he started evacuation.  Here is the rest of the incident report from Central 140 Station 7.

At 10:43 hrs Township Fire units were alerted for a reported “fire in the roof” of Wagners Restaurant along McKeesport Road. The first arriving engine reported nothing showing and evacuation complete, a line was stretched to the interior. EN7 arrived established a water supply and sent the remaining crew to the roof. TK7 arrived and was assigned to position on the “Charlie/Delta” side and establish roof operations along with EN7. Interior crews reported that the was a smoke condition in the dining room but it has dissipated on entry. A through investigation found faulty electrical wires in the roof top HVAC unit above the dining area. Crews isolated power to the unit and the building was turned over to the building owner, our dear friend Glenn Wagner of neighboring Company 154.

For more information and pictures, visit Central VFC

photo by central147.org

Club House Fire at Rolling Hills Golf Course in Murrysville

On March 28th, 2010, the club house at the Rolling Hills Golf Course in Murrysville caught fire.  Crews faced a lot of adversity including downed power lines, lack of a water supply, and a difficult location.  Murrysville Medic One’s website has some good coverage of the incident:

Dispatched to Rolling Hills Golf Course, Murrysville, for reported commercial structure fire at the club house. Chief 78 first to arrive on-scene with command and found the structure fully involved. Firefighters had difficult time battling the blaze due to limited access for vehicles, down live electrical lines, and lack of water, which had to be tankered in from another location. Support 610 provided firefighter rehab, food, drinks (hot/cold), and warming stations. Medic 614 and Medic 616 provided medical coverage. Responding agencies: Murrysville Medic One (Support 610, Medic 614, Medic 616, 610-4, and 610-1), Sardis VFD, White Valley VFD, Renton VFD, Holiday Park VFD, Upper Burrell Twp VFD, Washington Twp VFD, Kinloch VFD, and Markle VFD.

For more pictures and information visit Murrysville Medic One’s website

photo by murrysvillemedicone.org

Large Abandoned Church Fire in New Kensington

Lower Burrell VFC #3 has some nice pictures of an abandoned church fire that occured on March 6th, in New Kensington.  Here is the report from their site:

Around 2330, Station’s 95-1 & 2 were activated for a abandoned church fire, soon after it was determined that the fire was in the City of New Kensington. At that time station 69 was activated for RIT to assist 56 with a working structure fire. Engine 69-1 went en route with 5. Upon arrival Chief 69 advised Engine 1 to send man power to back alley to assist with fire suppression. Station 69 operated on scene for about 3 1/2 hours.

To see the additional pictures, visit Lower Burrell #3’s website

photo by lbvfc3.webs.com

Explosions, fire destroy three Monongahela buildings

Original article by Observer-Reporter

MONONGAHELA – A fire triggered by a set of explosions in a Monongahela pizza shop destroyed three buildings in the city’s downtown where two firefighters also were injured in a ladder collapse.

No one was seriously injured in the fire that appears to be traced to leaking natural gas in a Vocelli Pizza franchise, 222 W. Main St., authorities said.

“It was a very, very dangerous situation,” said Monongahela Police Chief Brian Tempest.
Police were called to the scene about 5:15 a.m. to investigate breaking glass, Tempest said.

Patrolman Bill Fusco encountered the fire and then entered the building to evacuate the tenants. Fusco was pulled from the building by a Carroll Township police officer because he was beginning to “go down,” overcome by smoke, Tempest said.

It was not immediately known how many people lived in apartments above the pizza shop in a three-story brick building and next door at Hufnagel Computers, 218 W. Main St.

The force of the explosions also blew out the windows of Bee’s Nest Cafe just to the right of the pizza shop operated by Robert Brooks of Monongahela.

Bee’s Nest owner Barbara Mayfield said she was concerned about how the fire started because she has complained about Monongahela police officer George Langan, who was arrested two days earlier on drug and corruption charges.

However, Washington County District Attorney Steve Toprani said it does not appear his widespread drug investigation in the city is related to the fire.

Two state police fire marshals are investigating the blaze.

Sarah Lucy, who lived above the computer store, said she awoke just before the fire to use the bathroom, and then heard an explosion shortly after she returned to her bed.

“I heard a boom, blast sound and thought cars wrecked,” said Lucy, 32.

She said she ran for her toddler, awoke a roommate and quickly fled to the street in her nightgown after seeing glass on the sidewalk and smoke.

Tempest said he is keeping Main Street closed in the area, rerouting traffic onto Railroad Street, due to concerns that two of the buildings might collapse.

The roof fell to the ground floor inside the pizza shop, and the fire also burned through the roof of the computer store.

The city will take immediate steps to declare the buildings unsafe, contact insurance companies and take steps to have them demolished, Tempest said.

New Eagle firefighter Les Pemberton, 50, of Monongahela, was treated at Mon Valley Hospital and later released after falling about 20 feet when the ladder collapsed. Pemberton works for Monongahela’s street department, police said.

Fire Rescue Headlines: 2 Flown, River Rescue, China Garden Fire

Here are your western PA firefighting and rescue headlines for Tuesday, September 1st, 2009.

• Two people were flown from an accident in Leechburg, Armstrong county that occurred around 9pm last night. [WPXI]

• Crews have resumed a search for a missing boater on the Yough river in Somerset County. [KDKA]

• A few days ago fire destroyed a China Garden Restaurant up in Erie.  Here is some video from WICU12

WICU12 China Garden Fire

Pretty slow news day in regards to firefighting, which is usually a good thing  . . .

Fire Rescue Headlines: FF Injured, Fatal Cycle Crashes, Commercial Structure Fire

Here are you firefighting and rescue headlines for western PA for Tuesday, August 11th, 2009.

• There was a firefighter injured in a Mt Oliver apartment fire last night.  According to WTAE the firefighter had a minor knee injury and stayed on scene.  [WTAE]

• A driver sheared a utility pole and then fled the scene in West Newton overnight. [WTAE]

• There was a violent fatal crash on Route 30 in Beaver County last night. [Tribune-Review]

• There was a fatal motorcycle crash in Upper Tyrone. [Tribune-Review]

• Two more motorcyclists died in a Bedford Twp Crash. [Post-Gazette]

• Early Sunday a vacant home burned on the eastside of Erie. [WICU12]

• Finally, crews battled a commercial structure fire in Duquesne yesterday.  An old water treatment building caught on fire caused accidentally by workers.  Tankers were called in for additional water supply. [WPXI]

Fire Rescue Headlines: Fitness Club Shooting, House, Restaurant, and High Rise Fires

Here are your western PA firefighting and rescue headlines for Wednesday, August 5th, 2009.  Not many incidents today as a lot of the news outlets are focused on the fitness club shooting spree.

• First, thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims and folks involved with the Collier Twp LA Fitness Club shooting tragedy last night.

• Elizabeth Boro was the scene of a house fire last night.  Hoopie World covered the incident here.

• From over the weekend, a restaurant in Greenwood Township which is south of Meadville in Crawford County, burned. [WICU12]

• Finally, a fire destroyed the Old Gatlin high rise in Connellsville early this morning. [WPXI]

Gator’s Old Flames – Ross Twp Baron-Wheeler Inc. Fire 5/28/1985

Berkeley Hills, Laurel Gardens, and Perrysville responded in the middle of the night to a Commercial Structure Fire at Baron-Wheeler, Inc. on Babcock Boulevard in Ross Township.

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Gator’s Old Flames – Ross Twp Best Feeds Store Fire – 1/19/82

At 8:33am, the initial alarm was received for a fire at the Best Feeds store on McKnight Road in Ross Township. Companies on scene included Berkeley Hills, Laurel Gardens, Perrysville, Quaill, Highland, and Fairview’s Air Truck. Sub-freezing temperatures and hazardous materials inside the building contributed to the fireground difficulties. The building was a total loss and the building was rebuilt with a new building on the same spot – now occupied by Jared’s Jewelry next to Denny’s.

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Gator’s Old Flames – Ross Twp Commercial Structure Fire – 12/28/1981

At approximately 2:40am, Alray Tire Company at 2002 Babcock Boulevard was destroyed by a fire fed by hundreds of rubber tires. Flames shot into the sky approximately 100 feet into the air. Numerous explosions created a near BLEVE effect. Companies on scene included Evergreen, Laurel Gardens, Berkeley Hills, Keating, Bauerstown, and Millvale. A business just to the sector 2 side suffered exposure damage. the main fire building was completely destroyed.

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