June 24--Seven people were injured and more than two dozen residents were forced from their homes after a Saturday night fire tore through the basement and first floor of the Central Apartments in Roscoe.
Roscoe fire Chief Todd Mauk said approximately 30 people escaped safely before firefighters extinguished the blaze, which started in the basement of the three-story building at 600 Furlong Ave.
Three firefighters and at least four residents were treated for smoke inhalation and/or heat exhaustion, Mauk said.
A 21-year-old Stockdale firefighter was kept overnight at Monongahela Valley Hospital in Carroll Township and released Sunday afternoon, according to Stockdale Chief and Roscoe Mayor Tom Wilkinson.
The American Red Cross provided hotel rooms to several displaced residents who were not able to stay with family members, Mauk said.
Some of the building's apartments had either been empty or rented by college students who are home for the summer, he added.
One deaf man identified only as "Larry" was flown via medical helicopter to West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh, Mauk said. Three other residents were treated locally for smoke inhalation, he said. One dog and seven cats died in the fire, he added.
Mauk, Wilkinson and RESA Officer in Charge Mark Stewart could not provide names for the victims.
Mauk said the fire caused significant damage to the first floor and heat and smoke damage to the second and third floors.
Firefighters battled the blaze for more than two hours before bringing it under control.
"Had more time elapsed, there would've been a lot more damage and danger to firefighters," Mauk said. "The basement runs throughout the whole building, some of it accessible and some of it just a crawlspace."
The call came in around 9:30 p.m., and firefighters initially could not locate the source of the blaze, Mauk said.
A state police fire marshal was still investigating the cause as of Sunday evening, he said.
"Due to heavy smoke and limited access to the building, the biggest challenge was finding the base of the fire," said Mauk, adding that recent renovations turning 12-foot ceilings into 8-foot ceilings caused additional concerns about the fire spreading further.
Firefighters used hoses to extinguish the basement blaze and additional flames that traveled into the walls, he said.
This was the second fire at the building in the past seven months.
On Nov. 15, a faulty space heater caused a fire that was contained to two apartments, Mauk said. A borough code enforcement officer checked building after that fire and allowed the structure to be occupied.
Whether residents will be allowed back into their apartments this time will depend on evaluations by both the fire marshal and borough code enforcement officer, Mauk said.
The Roscoe, Stockdale, California, Washington Township, Fallowfield Township, Charleroi, West Brownsville, North Brownsville, Bentleyville volunteer fire departments responded to the call.
Belle Vernon was placed on standby. Rostraver/West Newton Emergency Medical Services, Brownsville Ambulance Service and the Fayette Rehab Unit responded to the scene.
Rick Bruni Jr. is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at [email protected] or 724-684-2635.
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