Torch used to thaw frozen pipes blamed for Mt. Lebanon apartment building fire

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Tony LaRussa | Thursday, January 31, 2019 9:59 a.m.

Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish a fire in the basement of a a multi-story apartment building in Mt. Lebanon.

The fire was reported shortly before 9:30 a.m. at 460 Washington Road, according to an Allegheny County 911 supervisor.

The fire in the 7-story Penndale Towers broke out when maintenance workers tried to thaw a frozen pipe using a torch, according to fire officials.

Residents were evacuated from their apartments to the lobby of the building until the fire was put out, officials said.

All the building’s occupants will be allowed to return to their apartments. There were no injuries reported.

Tony LaRussa is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tony at 724-772-6368 or tlarussa@tribweb.com or via Twitter @TonyLaRussaTrib.