Firefighters in McKeesport battle flames at 3rd abandoned structure in a week

McKEESPORT, Pa. — For the third time in a week, firefighters were called Sunday night for a fire at an abandoned structure in McKeesport.

The latest fire occurred at a house on Packer Street, sending flames shooting through the roof and leaving behind broken windows.

“We were just sitting out on the porch and saw all of this smoke. We then looked down and saw the flames,” Dajsha Mitchell said.

Nobody was inside the abandoned house, and Mitchell said fire crews were quick to respond.

Mitchell recently moved out of the neighborhood, where one of the recent fires was ruled suspicious by the Allegheny County fire marshal, but her sister still lives on Packer Street.

“It is very concerning because fires can spread very fast. They don’t take long at all,” Mitchell said. “There’s more abandoned houses than actually houses that are up and running. That’s just crazy. I mean, I think if it’s going to be abandoned, at least knock it down or fix it up and have somebody rent it out.”

McKeesport’s fire chief said the causes of Sunday night’s fire and a fire last week at another abandoned house have not yet been released by the fire marshal.

Cox Media Group