Mount Washington fire strikes 3 vacant sites
No injuries were reported after crews battled a fire Sunday at a row of three vacant buildings in Mount Washington.
The five-alarm blaze was reported at 12:34 p.m. in the 100 block of Boggs Avenue near Wyoming Street.
After the fire was first reported, radio transmissions placed the fire at 120 Boggs, which is the location of the St. Justin Plaza high-rise apartment building. However, a supervisor at the Allegheny County emergency dispatch center quickly pointed out that the high-rise was not the structure that was on fire. Rather, the fire was located across the street, at an unknown address.
Sonya Toler, a city public safety spokeswoman, said no one was injured in the fire. She said the city is advising residents in the area to keep their doors and windows closed “because there’s so much smoke.”
She added that barricades will be placed around the three destroyed structures “in an effort to keep people out of harm’s way.” Work to remove debris is expected to begin Monday, she said.
St. Justin Plaza was unaffected by the fire, and Ms. Toler said “to the best of my knowledge” there were no evacuations. She added that the Department of Public Safety’s arson unit is investigating.