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This was a fire call in McKeesport Pa on 8/23/2012
The following is the complete story I wrote for an international website that I no longer work with and story is not online or their website any more:



The early morning air was filled with sounds of sirens and motors of fire engines as Mc Keesport Fire Company raced down Lylse Boulevard in downtown Mc Keesport. The engines slowing down after turning onto Saint Clair Street to pull up to the largest apartment building in the city, Midtown Plaza. The lights from two fire engines and a few Mc Keesport police cars lit up the 4 am morning sky. The alarm still going off as some residents came out of the building in their night clothes, with many carrying their babies. Mc Kessport firefighters suited up and enter the building to find and handle the source of the problem. Within minutes a firefighter comes out of the building putting his gear back into the truck as others take some equipment into the building. It was determined that a residence on the first floor of the eleven-floor apartment building fell asleep while they were cooking something on the stove.

The food on the stove didn't catch fire however burned until smoke filled the apartment and hallway of the first floor. One mother who is a resident on the 9th floor said she woke up to the alarm and smelled something burning. She immediately grabbed her 2yr old daughter and ran out of the building. She said when she opened her door the hallway was hazy or had a little smoke in it and the smell was overpowering as she worked her way down the fire escape steps on the side of the building. Overhearing this mother another woman says she lives on the 8th floor and her hallway was the same way hazy, had some smoke in it and a real powerful burning smell. None of the 6-8 women standing on the corner across the street from the building holding their babies wanted to be photographed or go on record. One said it was to the fact it was 4 in the morning, they all were still in their pajamas and their kids were dressed in their night clothes or some just in diapers. There are over a hundred apartments in the building and yet only around 20-25 people came out of the building. One woman also not wanting to be identified or photographed stated there has been a lot of false alarms in the resident past and people are kind of used to the alarm going off and the firemen coming to the building, so they won't come out. After waking up to the alarm and smelling something burning she put slippers on and ran out of the building with her child stating she was not going to take that chance of staying in the building, this time.



Speaking to Deputy Chief Vince Wassel he said, "we ventilate the apartment and the hallway and remove the pot from the stove take it outside". For this type of call Deputy Chief Wassel says, "For our company, this happens occasionally not often but occasionally we get called all over the place for the same problem".

Deputy Chief Vince Wassel explained to me that there was no damage to the apartment or the property. He also explained it would be up to the owner to do anything with the resident of the apartment where the smoke came from.


Now according to www.redcross.org Cooking is the main cause of house fires. Just in the fiscal year of 2011, there have been 62,960 house fires due to cooking. These fires were not all caused by someone falling asleep while cooking and the website does not give how many were. There are many tips on how to prevent house fires as well as some on how not to cause house fires when you go to sleep.

Some are as follows: 1. Clean cooking surfaces on a regular basis to prevent grease buildup. 2. Consider purchasing a fire extinguisher to keep in your kitchen. Contact your local fire department to take training on the proper use of extinguishers. 3. Install a smoke alarm near your kitchen, on each level of your home, near sleeping areas, and inside and outside bedrooms if you sleep with doors closed. Use the test button to check it each month. Replace all batteries at least once a year.
4. Always check the kitchen before going to bed or leaving the home to make sure all stoves, ovens, and small appliances are turned off.
To mention a few, however, you can go onto the red cross website www.redcross.org or talk to your local fire department to find out more ways to help prevent house fires.

Written By: J.L. Martello / 18ricco
Photos By: J.L. Martello / 18ricco
Contact: "Ricco" J.L. Martello / 18ricco
Cell: 412-583-6901
Email: [email protected]


Video By: J.L. Martello / 18ricco
Editing By: J.L. Martello / 18ricco