NORTH BRADDOCK, Pa. — Police are questioning two women in connection to a deadly high-rise fire in North Braddock.
A man died in the fire and the two women are being questioned at Allegheny County Police headquarters.
PHOTOS: Fire at high-rise apartment building in North Braddock
When the fire alarms sounded at General Braddock tower, some assumed it was a false alarm.
"But then the police came knocking on our doors and told us we had to evacuate because there's a fire on 12th," said Gloria Born, a resident.
It was shortly before 8 a.m. when North Braddock firefighters got the call to the 12-story building on Sixth Street.
With so much fog, it was hard at first to find the fire.
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"As they were walking the roof, they noticed smoke coming from a 12th floor apartment below them so they came down to the 12th floor," said Steve Imbarlina, assistant fire chief for Allegheny County Emergency Services. "They encountered an apartment on fire (and) they immediately began fighting that fire in the apartment."
That's when firefighters found a man in cardiac arrest. He was rushed to a hospital and later died.
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Some residents sheltered in place, while others remained evacuated for hours, wondering if their apartments were OK.
According to firefighters, the smoke and fire damage only extended out to the hallway.
Residents were allowed back in a couple of hours later as county investigators continued to find out what caused the fire.
The preliminary investigation seems to indicate that the fire was accidental.