6 cars damaged, destroyed by fire in Harmar hotel parking lot
High winds contributed to several cars being damaged or destroyed when one caught fire in a Harmar hotel parking lot Friday morning.
The fire at the Hampton Inn on Freeport Road was reported around 6:30 a.m., according to Allegheny County 911.
The fire was not far from the front entrance to the hotel. It left the ground charred.
Allegheny Valley fire Chief Kevin Funkhouser said a Mercedes caught fire for unknown reasons after a man staying at the hotel started it to warm up and went back inside the hotel.
High winds caused the fire to spread to two other vehicles, which were destroyed, Funkhouser said. There was minor damage to three others.
“The wind did not help,” Funkhouser said.
No one was hurt.
Hotel officials declined to comment.
Firefighters from Allegheny Valley, Cheswick and Rural Ridge were at the scene for about an hour.
One remaining charred car at Harmar Hampton Inn. In total, 6 cars were damaged in a parking lot fire this morning pic.twitter.com/WwEmw1W0XZ
— Ben Schmitt (@bencschmitt) November 1, 2019
Brian C. Rittmeyer, a Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University's Schreyer Honors College, has been with the Trib since December 2000. He can be reached at brittmeyer@triblive.com.
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