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Fire destroys former McKees Rocks church turned carpet showroom

MCKEES ROCKS, Pa. — No one was hurt in a five-alarm fire in a former church in McKees Rocks on Wednesday morning.

Fire Chief Nick Radoycis said firefighters were called to the building in the 700 block of Yunker Street just before 7:30 a.m. A furniture company uses the space to store Persian rugs and other items, Radoycis said. Firefighters forced their way into the building when they arrived.

“Carpeting was piled high against the door,” Radoycis said. “It was blazing rather well.”

The owner of Linders Showroom said about $1.5 million worth of inventory was stored in the building.

It's very sad. 25 years of selection is gone," said owner Ken Ashtrai. "We carried a unique selection of everything from different countries."

It appears the fire started inside the building and was centered in the doorway of the main entrance, he said. The Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause.