Trucks, plows destroyed in fire at McKeesport public works garage

McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko declared a state of emergency Sunday afternoon in the aftermath of a fire that destroyed the city’s public works garage.

Officials said the fire was first reported shortly after 6 a.m. at the facility where public works vehicles and other equipment is stored.

Four large dump trucks equipped with snow plows, a street sweeper and a truck used to clean storm sewers were destroyed in the blaze, the mayor said in a Facebook post.

Officials said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Cherepko said the state of emergency declaration gives the city access to resources needed to replace the equipment and the building.

“While this is a very unfortunate situation for the City of McKeesport, I am very grateful that there were no injuries resulting from the incident,” Cherepko said. “I’m grateful for our firefighters, who contained and extinguished this fire — stopping it from spreading to our other structures.”