Four firefighters injured when house’s roof falls
Four firefighters suffered minor injuries Friday evening when a roof collapsed at a burning house in Perry North.
The fire was reported about 6:30 p.m. in the 3900 block of Vinceton Street. Firefighters were inside battling the blaze when the roof collapsed about 6:45 p.m.
Pittsburgh Assistant Fire Chief Thomas Cook said all four injured firefighters were near the front door when the collapse occurred and all were able to escape with minor injuries.
“We had a very close call tonight,” he said.
The roof of the three-story house came down all at once because of a “catastrophic” structure failure, he said, adding that a cause had not been determined.
One of the firefighters had an injured leg; another hurt his back. The other two had undetermined injuries, and all were taken to hospitals as a precaution, according to city police spokeswoman Sonya Toler.
A neighbor said no one had lived in the house for several months.
Cristal Battung, 24, said she was in her room playing a computer game when she smelled something burning.
She looked outside her window and saw flames just feet away from her at the house next door.
“I saw nothing but fire, smoke and fire,” she said.
Ms. Battung was so close to the flames, her hair was singed, she said.
She yelled for her mother and father to get out of the house immediately. They and their three dogs, as well as a dog they were watching, made it out safely.
Ms. Battung said they planned to stay with relatives Friday night.