SCOTT TOWNSHIP, PA – On Monday, January 29, 2007 at approximately 3:45 p.m. Allegheny County 9-1-1 received reports of a structure fire at the King’s Grant Condominiums, located at 1000 Chatham Park Drive in Scott Township. Glendale (Station 257), East Carnegie (Station 256), Bower Hill (Station 255), Dormont R.I.T. (Station 130) and Scott Township EMS were dispatched on the initial assignment.

First arriving units reported heavy smoke showing from a two-story brick garden style condominium. Within minutes heavy fire was showing from a 2^nd floor unit. Crews advanced 1 ¾” attack lines into the structure, where they encountered heavy smoke and heat conditions. Additional crews initiated a primary search of the units in the involved complex. Initial attack crews advanced their way to the 2^nd floor, where they encountered heavy fire conditions.

Command requested additional alarms for manpower and water supply. The following companies were dispatched on the additional alarm assignments; Carnegie (Station 118), Bridgeville (Station 117), Kirwin Heights (Station 124), Presto (Station 125), Bethel Park (Station 110) and Mount Lebanon (Station 198). Interior crews initiated an aggressive interior attack as Truck 257 and Truck 256 were set up in sector 1 for ventilation operations. The fire rapidly extended into the crawl space and quickly ran the common roof.

With conditions rapidly deteriorating, all crews were ordered to evacuate the structure and a full scale defensive attack was initiated. Two aerial master streams as well as several 2 ½” and 1 ¾” attack lines were placed in operation in efforts to darken the heavy volume of fire and to prevent it from spreading to the next building in the complex. Crews had the bulk of the fire knocked down within 45 minutes after the defensive attack began.

Command placed the fire under control at approximately 5:30 p.m. Crews remained on the scene for an extended period of time, performing extensive overhaul operations and extinguishing hot spots. Port Authority buses were brought to the scene to be used as rehab for emergency personnel, as temperatures were in the 20’s and dropping. Residents, who were home at the time, were taken to the recreation hall located in another part of the complex, which allowed them to get out of the cold weather and to meet with personnel from the American Red Cross, who assisted them with food, clothing and temporary shelter.

Salvation Army personnel were on the scene with their mobile canteen units, providing hot and cold drinks, as well as food to the emergency personnel. The Allegheny County Fire Marshal was called to the scene to investigate the fire, which destroyed or heavily damaged approximately 20 units within the complex. Damages have been estimated at $2,000,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation.