"I think they're all in shock, to tell you the truth. You could actually see them starting to cry they were so upset," said Rozik, who volunteers at Rostraver Township Volunteer Fire Department No. 1 in Webster.
"I'm sick. That's part of my life," said Rozik, 62, of Webster, Westmoreland County, as smoke billowed from her fire hall.
Five firefighters suffered minor injuries while battling the stubborn 11:19 a.m. fire that caused more than $300,000 in damages to the firehouse, said Rostraver fire Chief Rich Painter.
He said the department's fire trucks and much of its equipment were saved, having been stored in a new steel-frame garage the fire department built next door last year.
"We're 100 percent in service," Painter said.
A local businessman, Chuck Metz, said he heard a popping sound and called Westmoreland County 911 to report the fire.
Having been given a key to the fire hall on Route 906 south, Metz said he ran to the building to check to see if anyone was trapped inside.
Rozik said she told Rostraver Township police she feared firefighter Ken Leasure was inside at the time because he had earlier told her he was heading to the fire hall. He later showed up at the fire, unharmed.
The state police fire marshal is expected to return to the fire scene today in an attempt to determine how the fire started, Painter said.
It appeared to have started on the second floor toward the rear of the concrete block building, he said.
Police and a few Webster firefighters were the first to arrive at the fire that quickly engulfed the building's roof and gutted its interior, Painter said. The older building was used to house spare equipment and as offices and a social hall.
"Flames were just shooting from behind the roof, just shooting," said Rozik, who works in the fire hall kitchen during its fish fries and spaghetti dinners to raise money.
Rostraver police Officer Scott Sokol was among the first to arrive. He helped to pull some equipment from the garage, including a river rescue boat, Rostraver police Chief Greg Resetar said.
Another boat was destroyed, along with spare hoses that were inside the double-bay garage.
Firefighters from nearby Monessen joined others from Donora, Monongahela, North Belle Vernon and neighboring Rostraver companies in battling the blaze.
Painter said he received an outpouring of support from the other fire departments. He said it was too soon to say if the fire hall will be rebuilt.
"I was not too happy about it, to tell you the truth," firefighter Mike Godzak said. "We're lucky, very lucky it didn't catch the house next door on fire. It was going like hell there for a while."
