Bicyclist, policeman, neighbors help woman escape apartment fire in Brackenridge

Ron Weidenhoff of Tarentum was riding his bike up Brackenridge Avenue on Friday afternoon when he smelled smoke, then saw a woman on the balcony of a house on fire.

“I looked up and saw a lady clutching the railing on the balcony. I don’t know if she was trying to decide whether to jump or just frozen with fear,” Weidenhoff said. “Flames were pouring out of the apartment just behind her.

“I yelled to her to crawl over to the porch next door. She yelled back that she was worried about her cat.

“Two seconds after she moved, the awning on her place fell right where she was just standing.”

Pioneer Hose Chief Rick Jones said a police officer and neighbors helped the woman, in her early 60s, get safely to the ground. She was transported to Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison for treatment of smoke inhalation.

Jones said crews were dispatched for the fire at 1075 Brackenridge Ave. at 2:46 p.m.

“When we got there everybody was safe,” Jones said. “There was a person trapped on a front porch. She made her way to a neighboring roof and the neighbors and a police officer helped her down.”

The Brackenridge police officer who assisted was Josh Grafton. The neighbors were not identified.

“It was nice that they helped,” Jones said of the rescue effort.

Jones said there were flames and heavy smoke coming from the second-floor apartment where the woman lived.

“We pulled up and hit it with a master stream from the engine to knock the fire down, and then we deployed hand lines to the second floor to mop it up,” Jones said.

No firefighters were injured.

The chief said there were no issues with the water supply or manpower.

“Today was a very good job by all,” Jones said. “We had it under control pretty quick.”

There are three apartments in the two-story building. One person lived in each unit.

The Red Cross is assisting the three residents.

Allegheny County Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire. Preliminary reports indicate it was accidental.

Crews began clearing the scene around 6:15 p.m.

The fire appears to have gutted the second-floor apartment.

“There was smoke everywhere and windows were popping,” Weidenhoff said. “The wires started to pop, and I just started telling everyone to get back until the fire crews got here.”

The apartment building sits two doors down from the Brackenridge Post Office and across the street from the United Steelworkers’ Local 1196 headquarters.

Several emergency services responded, including Pioneer Hose, Highland Hose, Hilltop Hose, Eureka Fire-Rescue and Citizens EMS.