Allegheny County fire marshal investigating apartment building fire in Crafton

CRAFTON, Pa. — The Allegheny County fire marshal is investigating to determine the cause of an apartment building fire in Crafton that left 11 people without a home.

The fire was called in around 5:30 a.m., and people were still trying to get out of the building when crews arrived.

Two residents of the building said they saw the first flames coming from an electrical outlet and attempted to put it out themselves, but the fire continued to grow and forced everyone to evacuate.

Emergency responders had to rescue a man in a wheelchair from a first floor apartment.

“Right now, everyone is displaced,” said Crafton Fire Chief Mike Crown. “Some of the occupants as they were leaving the building they locked their doors, so we had to break some doors to do some search and rescue to make sure everyone was out. So until that’s able to be secured and the fire marshal does his investigation, nobody’s going to be allowed back in the property.”

Residents of the building went to a local community center to get out of the rain, until the red cross was able to assist them.

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