Pittsburgh Fire Responds to 4-Alarm Apartment Fire in Squirrel Hill

At 8:25 a.m, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire, Pittsburgh Bureau of EMS, and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police responded to 5680 Forward Ave. for a reported fire at a three-story apartment building.

The two-alarm response rapidly grew to four alarms as arriving fire companies encountered heavy fire and smoke coming from the roof area. Firefighters quickly worked to safely evacuate all of the residents from the building, including many with mobility issues.

The fire spread quickly throughout the more than 90-year-old building, constructed mainly with wood. A secondary fire was located in the basement. Seventeen fire companies and a total of 73 fire personnel battled the heavy fire and smoke conditions for more than four-and-a-half hours. The fire was declared under control at 1:08 p.m.

No residents or firefighters were injured. Firefighters were able to save two cats from the burning building, but a third cat was discovered deceased.

As many as thirty residents have been displaced by the fire and officials with the City's Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security are working with the American Red Cross to provide residents with food, clothing, medical supplies, and emergency accommodations at the Greenfield Rec Center if needed. Office of Community Health and Safety (OCHS) social workers also responded to the scene to provide trauma services to impacted residents.

Pittsburgh Public Safety would like to thank community partners such as the Sally and Howard Levin Clubhouse which provided a gathering area for displaced residents and the Salvation Army for supporting displaced residents and first responders with food and water on scene.

The Fire Investigation Unit will work to determine the exact cause of the fire.