Detectives Investigate Mount Washington Church Fire

Just after 6 p.m., the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire was dispatched for reports of smoke emanating from a vacant church on the corner of Grandview Ave. and Kearsarge St. on Mount Washington.

Firefighters arrived to find an active fire in the structure, which quickly grew in size, prompting a three-alarm response. No other structures were exposed to the flames and there were no injuries to firefighters or civilians. Pittsburgh Bureau of EMS transported one firefighter to the hospital to be treated for heat exhaustion.

The roof collapsed during the response and multiple other areas of the building showed signs of instability. City building inspectors from PLI arrived to assess and condemn the building and have barricades erected to ensure safety around the site overnight.

The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Drone Unit was later called in to provide aerial coverage of the structure to identify hidden hotspots.

The fire was deemed to be under control after three hours.

One individual was arrested at the scene on charges unrelated to the fire itself. Fire Investigation Unit detectives will work to determine the cause of the fire. The investigation is ongoing.

Many thanks to the Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services of Western Pennsylvania for their on scene support