3 firefighters suffer minor injuries in New Kensington attic fire

Three firefighters were hurt in an attic fire that started around 2 p.m. Friday at 1309 Kenneth Ave. in New Kensington.

They were taken to Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison for minor injuries, according to New Kensington Fire Chief Ed Saliba Jr. Two had electrical burns from a wire and one suffered from heat exhaustion.

No one was home, but two cats and a dog were rescued.

Substantial damage to the top level of the three-story home was visible from the street.

It took crews roughly an hour to extinguish the fire as they simultaneously battled outdoor temperatures of around 90 degrees.

“We had more firefighters here than what we normally do,” Saliba said. “When the crews came out, we rotated them … so they were fresh at all times.”

About 50 firefighters from half a dozen or so companies were on the scene.

At least one official with Murrysville Medic One handed out ice pops to first responders and bystanders.

Juliet Rometo, who lives next to the house that caught fire, said she was alerted of the blaze after a neighbor came to her door and urged her to leave. She moved her car before returning to the scene.

“The cloud (of smoke) got so big, it blocked out the sun for a second,” Rometo said.

The two homes are separated only by a small walking path.

Saliba commended crews for preventing the fire’s spread to other properties.

“They did a hell of a job today,” Saliba said. “This could have been a catastrophe.”