Arnold Manor residents reflect on Thursday’s fire, aftermath

“It’s a little disturbing looking at that, because that could have been me. You never know,” Paul McHenry told Channel 11.

McHenry lives in Arnold Manor in Arnold, Pennsylvania. The building caught on fire on Thursday. Twenty-four hours later, he came outside to take a look at the damage to the outside.

”I’m more grateful that everyone else is OK. There are people older than me here, and I’m glad they got out,” he added.

Many people who live here also have disabilities, and some residents told us on Thursday that they felt trapped when they realized the elevators had been shut off.

The executive director of the Westmoreland County Housing Authority, who runs Arnold Manor, tells me turning the elevators off is a part of their fire safety protocol.

He said anytime the fire alarm goes off, the elevator shuts down. That way, no one can get on it and potentially become trapped inside if the power goes off.

Residents told Channel 11 they’re well aware of the protocol.

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”We know that [the elevator] goes off during a fire, so we know not (to) use it, and take the fire escape route,” resident Christina Davis said.

If someone is disabled, they’re instructed to stay in their units until they can be rescued.

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The night of the fire, Arnold’s Volunteer Fire Department faced criticism from residents about how long it took to get everyone out of the building.

A day later, McHenry was thankful for the firefighters’ hard work.

”They’re volunteer. They’re risking their life for everybody else,” McHenry said.

The executive director said they hope to get some residents back into their homes by Monday.

RAW: Crews battle fire at local retirement high-rise; residents rescued RAW: Crews battle fire at local retirement high-rise; residents rescued