Piano factory collapse kills two firemen

YORK, Pa. — A section of a burned-out former piano factory in Pennsylvania collapsed Thursday, killing two firefighters and injuring two others who were looking for hot spots and investigating the cause of the blaze.

Firefighters Ivan Flanscha and Zachary Anthony died at a hospital, York Mayor Michael Helfrich said in a statement Thursday, calling it a “tragic day in York’s history.”

The two other firefighters injured in the collapse, Assistant Chief Greg Altland and firefighter Erik Swanson, were in stable condition and being treated for injuries that are not life-threatening, the mayor said.

The four firefighters were looking for hot spots and the cause of a fire that broke out Wednesday when a large section of the former Weaver Organ and Piano factory building’s wall collapsed on them, York officials said. The structure was being converted into residential units that were expected to be completed by this summer.

Flanscha was named the York City Firefighter of the Year in 2004, and was a 20-year veteran of the department. Anthony had been with the department since 2010.

The two firefighters are the 12th and 13th city firefighters killed in the line of duty in the department’s history.