Jul 11, 2008 1:01 pm US/Eastern
McKeesport Fire Chief: Definitely A Miracle Here
McKEESPORT (KDKA) ―
McKeesport's fire chief says it's "definitely a miracle" that no one died when flames swept through an apartment building along Coursin Street early this morning.
The fire started at the Hi View Gardens apartment around 6:30am and flames quickly spread through the building.
Officials tell KDKA that although a fire alarm was going off inside, some residents didn't pay attention to it because they said they frequently have false alarms.
Police officers, who arrived first on the scene, began banging on the doors of the apartments to help get the people out of the building before firefighters got there.
Firefighters helped a group of at least seven people – including several children – who had been trapped on the second floor.
Amazingly, McKeesport Fire Chief Kevin Lust said no one suffered any serious injuries. He had nothing but praise for his crews. "The guys did one heck of a job!"
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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