May 14, 2008 1:04 pm US/Eastern
Tenant Injured In Pittsburgh Apartment Fire
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
Penn Avenue between Sixth and Seventh Streets had to be closed down for quite some time this morning because of a fire in the Roosevelt Arms Apartment Building.
Fire officials say that the fire was contained to just one apartment on the third floor.
But they have some serious concerns about why fire alarms didn't go off in this building.
"The address given was not for this building. When firefighters arrived, it was just the building next door," said Deputy Fire Chief Dan Hennessy. "It was probably hooked into the same system. Firefighters looked on the enunciator panel and there was no indication of a fire in the building."
Firefighters say there were no alarms going off in the building.
"Finally a resident reported to security in the building that they did smell some smoke on the third floor," said Hennessy. "Firefighters on the scene immediately responded to the third floor, walked to apartment 310, felt the door and realized it was hot."
The fire had started on a couch in the living room of that apartment, seriously injuring a 50-year old man.
Neighbors say they had no idea what was going on.
"I heard all the firemen on my floor," said one resident. "They said the smoke was on the third floor. I heard the firemen in the hall. That's all I know."
The same resident said there was another fire in the building a few months ago but that one was not as serious.
The victim was taken to Mercy Hospital believed to be suffering from cardiac arrest.
The fire was contained to just one apartment.
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