Fire destroys garage, 3 vehicles at Allegheny Township home

An Allegheny Township couple will have to find another place to spend the night as a fire ripped through their garage and caused some damage to their home.

A truck and two cars inside the red brick, three-car attached garage were destroyed in the fire at 160 Hummingbird Lane on Thursday evening.

Fire Chief Mike Nickles said flames also made it into a hallway and kitchen, but damage to the home was kept to a minimum. Crews were dispatched to the scene at about 7 p.m.

“We had the fire knocked down within the first 20 minutes,” he said. “It started somewhere in the garage area. We’re investigating that. It did get into the house a little bit. We got that taken care of. The garage part was fully engulfed when we got here. … We got a quick knockdown on the fire with the first two trucks that were on scene.

”They were able to save the structure, itself.”

Nickles said crews did not have a problem with manpower or water even though the brick house is fairly secluded off the roadway.

Firefighters tapped a hydrant near the intersection of Hummingbird Lane and Garvers Ferry Road. Tankers from South Buffalo Township and West Leechburg fire departments were used to transport water.

“We were at a brush fire on Route 356 when we got this call,” Nickles said. “We had equipment and tankers sitting there. We just pulled them over to here, which really helped out. We had a pretty quick response. We had a good crew.”

No injuries or issues were reported in connection with the brush fire.

Firefighters from Lower Burrell and Arnold also responded to the calls.

The garage fire was the third incident many of the same firefighters went to Thursday.

A blaze at a Lower Burrell apartment complex that afternoon left more than 25 people homeless.

“There are a lot of tired firemen here tonight,” Nickles said as crews addressed hot spots shortly before 9 p.m.